ISRO's mission to dock satellites in space, SpaDeX, launched
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its revolutionary Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) today, to master the technology of autonomous space docking. The mission took off aboard a PSLV-C60 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It is deploying two specially-designed satellites, each weighing around 220kg, into a low-Earth circular orbit at an altitude of about 470km. These satellites will be made to dock by January 7.
SpaDeX mission's primary objective
The main goal of the SpaDeX mission is to develop and validate rendezvous, docking, and undocking technologies. These are essential for future missions with multiple spacecraft. The two satellites participating in this mission, are dubbed Chaser (SDX01) and Target (SDX02). If the docking is successful, India could join an elite club of nations with space docking capabilities, currently only occupied by the US, Russia, and China.
SpaDeX mission's secondary objectives
Apart from its main objectives, the SpaDeX mission also has a number of secondary objectives. These include the demonstration of electrical power transfer between docked spacecraft, controlling one spacecraft with the other's attitude control system during docking, and performing a range of payload operations post-undocking. If successful, these tasks could greatly improve India's capabilities in complex space operations.
Significance for future lunar missions
The docking expertise learned from the SpaDeX mission could prove useful for future lunar missions such as Chandrayaan-4. This mission is especially important for the country's long-term space ambitions, including lunar exploration and the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS). ISRO has called this mission a critical step in "paving the way for future missions involving astronauts, sample returns, and advanced space infrastructure."
Importance in boosting space start-ups
The SpaDeX mission will benefit India's top start-ups, which are sending their payloads to space as part of their R&D systems. The PSLV Orbital Experiment Module (POEM) is carrying 24 experiments - 14 from different ISRO labs and 10 from private universities and start-ups - to demonstrate different technologies in space. This gives them a great opportunity to test and validate their technologies in real-world conditions.
SpaDeX mission's role in agricultural research
The SpaDeX mission has take spinach, cowpeas, and other crop specimens into space to observe their growth patterns in extraterrestrial environments. ISRO plans to grow eight cowpea seeds from seed germination and plant sustenance till the two-leaf stage in a closed-box environment with active thermal control. It is a part of the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. This initiative is a major step toward understanding plant life sustainability in space conditions.
