India will join the club of world’s elite 3 countries, know what is ISRO’s Spadex mission

New Delhi : ISRO is going to launch Space Docking Experiment (Spadex) on 30 December. With this launch, ISRO is ready to take a big leap in the space programme. With this, after this mission, India will join the elite club of those three countries of the world (America, Russia and China) in the field of space technology which have the capability to dock two spacecraft or satellites in outer space. The mission will be launched by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C60) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. This is ISRO’s last mission for the year 2024. This mission will open new avenues for research and collaboration. This will strengthen India’s role as a major player in the global space community.

Why is this mission important

This mission is an important milestone for ISRO. It will demonstrate in-space docking capabilities, a key technology for future space endeavors. Its primary objective is to develop and test the systems required for rendezvous, docking and undocking of two spacecraft. Docking in space is one of the most difficult and complex processes. Even the slightest mistake can lead to disaster.

ISRO’s mission on December 30 will have two spacecraft, Chaser (SDX01) and Target (SDX02). The weight of each of these is 220 kg. As the name suggests, the objective of the mission will be for the chaser to pursue the target while both orbiting the Earth at high speed and rapidly dock with it.

What will be the process of the mission?

ISRO will launch on PSLV-C60 rocket. This will place both spacecraft in low-Earth orbit, about 470 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Both spacecraft will be inclined 55 degrees towards the Earth. After being deployed in a circular orbit, the two spacecraft will move about 20 kilometers apart in 24 hours. After this, scientists sitting in ISRO’s Mission Control in Bengaluru will begin complex and precise docking and undocking maneuvers.

This will ensure a small initial relative velocity between the satellites due to the PSLV’s accuracy. Using onboard propulsion, the target will gradually approach an inter-satellite separation of 10-20 km. This is known as the distant encounter phase. The chaser will then approach the target in stages. This will gradually reduce the distance to 5 km, 1.5 km, 500 m, 225 m, 15 m and finally 3 m, where docking will take place. Once docked, the mission will perform power transfer between the spacecraft before undocking them for payload operations.

mission objective

• To perform precision maneuvers to rendezvous and dock satellites.
• Validating the transfer of electric power between docked spacecraft.
• Operating the payload after undocking, which has a mission life of up to two years.

What will be the benefit of the mission?

This mission is critical to India’s ability to establish its own space station. It will also provide future docking capability to India’s RLV or Reusable Launch Vehicle, the Indian version of NASA’s iconic space shuttle. This capability is essential for missions that require more than one launch to achieve common objectives. This involves a combination of satellite servicing, formation flying, and complex structures such as the proposed Indian Space Station (BAS).

Innovative Use of PSLV Fourth Stage In addition to its docking purposes, the mission will utilize the PSLV’s spent fourth stage. It is called POEM-4 (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module). It is intended as a platform for microgravity experiments. It will carry on board a total of 24 payloads contributed by academic institutions and startups.