ISRO Shares Stunning Video As India Launches Its First Space Docking Mission
As India prepares to enter the elite club of space docking masters, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the ISRO team
Two spacecraft, which will assist the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in demonstrating space docking, a vital technology for future space missions, were successfully separated and placed into the desired orbit late Monday, according to the country’s space agency.
“The PSLV C60 mission has been successfully completed, with the SpaDeX spacecraft considered," said Mission Director M Jayakumar. ISRO later shared breathtaking visuals of the SpaDeX launch’s slow-motion liftoff and onboard views.
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Slow-motion liftoff and onboard views! 🚀✨SpaDeX’s historic mission onboard PSLV-C60 delivers breathtaking visuals, showcasing India’s strides in space exploration. 🌌🛰️
📖 More info: https://t.co/jQEnGi3W2d#SpaDeX #ISRO 🚀📍 @DrJitendraSingh pic.twitter.com/5eJ6FAiIxI
— ISRO (@isro) December 31, 2024
As India prepares to enter the elite club of space docking masters, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the ISRO team. He calls it a grand success that opens a new path for Bharat in space docking technology and strengthens its role as a global leader in space.
Bharat paces to become the fourth nation to master space docking.Kudos to Team @isro on the successful launch of #SpaDeX Mission. This is a grand success that opens a new path for Bharat in space docking technology and strengthens its role as a global leader in space. All my… pic.twitter.com/PFiGrIlTEt
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 31, 2024
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath said the rocket has placed the satellites in the right orbit of 475 km circular orbit, after over 15 minutes of flight.
“So, as far as we are concerned, the rocket has placed the spacecraft in the right orbit and the SpaDeX satellites have moved one behind the other, and over the period of time, it will pick up further distance, travel about 20 km away and then the rendezvous and docking process will start.
“And we hope that the docking process can happen in another week and the nominal time is going to be approximately January 7," he said in his address from the Mission Control Centre.
The key element of this mission is POEM-4, which is currently active, featuring 24 payloads from startups, industries, academic institutions, and ISRO centers, as mentioned. These payloads are set to be launched late on Monday night.
Referred to as a precursor to ISRO’s plans for a Space Station by 2035, the PSLV-C60 mission will also mark India’s entry into an elite group of nations achieving this milestone, which is expected in the coming days.
The 44.5-meter-tall rocket carries two spacecraft, Spacecraft A and Spacecraft B, each weighing 220 kg. These spacecraft are designed for space docking, satellite servicing, and interplanetary missions.
After the 25-hour countdown began on Sunday, the rocket launched at 10 pm from the First Launch Pad at the spaceport, emitting thick orange fumes and a loud roar from the island, located about 135 km east of Chennai.
ISRO scientists explained that the two spacecraft—Spacecraft A (SDX01), the “Chaser," and Spacecraft B (SDX02), the “Target"—will eventually merge at an altitude of about 470 km, traveling at the same speed and distance.
By advancing docking technologies, ISRO is improving its operational flexibility and expanding its mission capabilities. This technology is crucial for India’s space ambitions, including the Chandrayaan-4 mission for lunar sample collection and the development and operation of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station.
“In-space docking technology is essential for missions that require multiple rocket launches to achieve shared objectives. With this mission, India is on track to become the fourth country in the world to possess space docking technology," ISRO stated.
China, Russia, and the US are the other countries to have achieved this technological milestone.
While the spacecraft has reached its target orbit, scientists will take further steps in the coming days to close the gap between the two spacecraft, eventually leading to their docking.
The PSLV-C60 launch marks ISRO’s final mission of 2024. Interestingly, the space agency began the year with the successful launch of the PSLV-C58/XPOSAT mission on January 1.
Additionally, Monday’s PSLV rocket is the first to be integrated up to the fourth stage at the newly established PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
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