ISRO satellites join hands on Spadex mission! What does space docking mean for India? , peppermint

Chaser and Target finally “joined hands” early Thursday. Two satellites launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully docked in space.

This historic achievement made India the fourth country in the world – after Russia, the United States and China – and part of the “exclusive club of nations” with space-docking capabilities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the “successful demonstration of space docking of satellites” as an “important step for India’s ambitious space missions in the coming years.”

What is ISRO Spadex Mission?

ISRO had launched the Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) mission on PSLV-C60 and innovative payload in late December. The mission consists of two small spacecraft (each approximately 220 kg).

The purpose of the mission was to develop and demonstrate the technology required for spacecraft rendezvous, docking and undocking of two small spacecraft.

ISRO also wanted to demonstrate “controllability in docked conditions to extend the life of the target spacecraft and to test power transfer between docked satellites”.

The docking process involved controlling the two satellites – chaser and target – as a single object in space. Announcing the historic achievement, ISRO said in a tweet, “After docking, control of the two satellites as a single object was successful. Undocking and power transfer will be investigated in the coming days.”

Earlier, the docking attempts were postponed by ISRO due to technical issues.

What is ‘docking’?

ISRO said that the docking technology is necessary when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common space mission objectives.

“When you have multiple objects in space, and we need to bring them together for a specific purpose, we need a mechanism called docking,” former ISRO chairman Somnath told PTI earlier.

Somnath said that initially a system comes and connects and later a sealed connection is established.

“Let’s say you want to build a space station. Everything isn’t launched at once. The modules go on one after the other. They’re attached to each other to create a tall, big, complex space station ,” he told NDTV in an interview.

Somnath then cited the United States’ International Space Station as an example. “For example, on the International Space Station, when a crew module docks with the station, you equalize the pressure, and move people,” he said.

The Indian space agency said Spadex is “a significant project designed to develop and demonstrate the technology required for rendezvous, docking and undocking of spacecraft using two small satellites.”

Meanwhile, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) defined docking as “the mating operation where an active vehicle flies to the mating interface under its own power”.

Science Direct also reported that spacecraft docking has important applications such as delivering supplies to manned space stations, refueling space vehicles and recovering daughter spacecraft that have separated from the parent spacecraft.

What does ‘docking in space’ mean for India?

‘Docking’ is a “ground-breaking technology” that will prove to be a game-changer for many space missions scheduled for ISRO in the coming future.

Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said this docking capability paves the way for smooth operation of ambitious future missions including the Indian Space Station, Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan 4. This mechanism will also help during manned space missions – sending an Indian astronaut to space. moon.

India is hoping to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040, set up the Indian Space Station (BAS) by 2035 and launch the Chandrayaan-4 mission to bring back lunar samples by 2027. Space docking will also be useful in the future Gaganyaan mission.

“SPADEX will be a milestone in advancing India’s capabilities in space docking, which is a critical technology for future space missions including satellite servicing, space station operations and interplanetary missions,” ISRO said.

“By mastering rendezvous and docking technologies, ISRO is set to enhance its operational flexibility and expand its mission horizons,” it said.