ISRO has provided the country with a big gift ahead of Holi. ISRO has proved once again that India is not behind any country by successfully undocking the Sapadex satellite. The launching of the Space Docking Experiment, abbreviated as Spadex, took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Center, also known as SHAR, Sriharikota, on December 30, 2024, at 10 pm. This successful mission would ensure the establishment of the Indian Space Center and human missions in space, such as Chandrayaan-4.
What is docking & undocking?
Docking is the term that refers to bringing satellites together in space, while undocking refers to their separation in space.
Jintendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences & Technology, has congratulated ISRO for this achievement. He posted on X, “Congratulations to ISRO! This is a moment of joy for every Indian. The satellites have done a remarkable de-docking, which will hugely benefit some of our future ambitious missions, including the Indian Space Station, Chandrayaan 4, and Gaganyaan. It will help these missions in the future. Prime Minister Modi’s sustained encouragement increases the thrill.”
Again, on January 16, India made another giant leap in its space sector to be joined by only some countries of the world. ISRO successfully docked satellites under the program of ‘Space Docking Experiment’ (Spadex). ISRO further added on the social media platform ‘X’, ‘India has registered its name in space history. Good morning India, ISRO’s Spadex mission has achieved historic success in ‘docking’. It feels proud to be a witness to this moment.’ This puts India at par with America, Russia, and China- only four countries in the world to achieve this feat. This technology will fulfill demands of future Indian space ambitions such as the Indian mission to the moon, bringing back samples from the moon, the construction and operation of the Indian Space Station (BAS) etc.
Future prospective outcomes of this mission
-India’s ambitious plan is to create its own space station by 2035. This mission will be very helpful in achieving this goal. The proposed Indian space station will consist of five modules which will be assembled in space. The first of these is to be launched in 2028.
– This mission is also significant for human space flights like Chandrayaan-4…The experiment will optimize capabilities such as satellite repair, refueling, debris removal and many more.
– It is pertinent for missions needing to use heavy spacecraft and equipment that cannot be launched all in one go.
