ISRO’s SpaDeX satellites locking horns for ‘exciting handshake’, capturing stunning photos, videos of each other mint

Two satellites launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were closing in for an “exciting handshake”, the space agency said on the morning of Sunday, January 12. Two satellites, SDX01 (chaser) and SDX02 (target) attempted the test to reach 3 meters but were moved back to a safe distance.

“The docking process will be done after further analyzing the data,” ISRO said without sharing any further details. ISRO performed this maneuver after delaying the docking process twice. The first docking event was to take place on January 7.

Earlier in a post on X, ISRO had said, “At a distance of 15 metres, we see each other more clearly than we do at just 50 feet for an exciting handshake.”

In another post on X, ISRO released “stunning” images of two satellites in space. “The SpaDeX satellites are located 15 meters apart, capturing stunning photos and video of each other!” ISRO said.

ISRO later reported that a test attempt was made to reach 15 meters and beyond that to 3 meters. “The spacecraft is being moved back to a safe distance. The docking procedure will be done after further analyzing the data,” it said.

The Spadex mission, launched by ISRO on December 30, aims to demonstrate in-space docking using small spacecraft.

The PSLV C60 rocket carried two 220 kg satellites – Chaser and Target – from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, placing the spacecraft in a 475-km circular orbit.

How will the docking process happen in space?

The two small spacecraft were launched by PSLV-C60, independently and simultaneously, into a 470 km circular orbit at 55° inclination.

ISRO said a small relative velocity was imparted between the target and the chaser spacecraft at the time of separation from the launch vehicle.

This incremental velocity will allow the target spacecraft to create 10–20 km inter-satellite separation with respect to the chaser within a day.

At the end of this “drift arrest maneuver”, the target and chaser will be in the same orbit with the same velocity but separated by about 20 km, known as “far rendezvous”.

The chaser will then approach the target with progressively shorter inter-satellite distances of 5 km, 1.5 km, 500 m, 225 m, 15 m and 3 m, ultimately leading to the docking of the two spacecraft.

Following successful docking and rigging, electrical power transfer will be performed between the two satellites before they undock and separate to begin operation of their respective payloads.

Expected mission life is up to two years.

Why is the docking mission important for India?

With the Spadex mission, ISRO aims to bring India into the exclusive club of countries with space-docking capabilities. If successful, India will be poised to become the fourth country in the world to have space-docking technology after the US, Russia and China.

ISRO explained that this technology is essential for India’s space ambitions, such as “Indians on the Moon, sample return from the Moon”. [Chandrayaan 4 mission]and construction and operation of the Indian Space Station (BAS).”

“Docking” is when a spacecraft can maneuver and attach itself to a space station. Spacecraft docking is important for activities such as delivering supplies to manned space stations, refueling space vehicles, and recovering daughter spacecraft that have separated from the parent spacecraft.