SPADEX Mission: ISRO ready for a big leap, space docking experiment will start today, both satellites are at a distance of 1.5 km.

Bengaluru: On one hand, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has rescheduled its Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) for the third time after delaying it. Under this space mission of ISRO, two satellites are currently at a distance of just 1.5 kilometers. Work has to begin on a plan to bring them closer. This space mission of ISRO will be started today i.e. on 11th January.

In this regard, ISRO said on Friday that the two satellites that it is hoping to join together, belonging to the 'Space Docking Experiment' (SPADEX), are at a distance of 1.5 kilometers and will be brought much closer on January 11. Please note that the Spadex space docking experiment has not been conducted so far during the two publicly announced events on January 7 and January 9.

SpaDeX Docking Update:

Spacecrafts are at a distance of 1.5 km and on hold mode. Further drift to 500 m is planned to be achieved by tomorrow morning.#SPADEX #ISRO

— ISRO (@isro) January 10, 2025

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said in a post on 'X', “The spacecraft are at a distance of 1.5 km and are on 'hold mode'.” They plan to cover another 500 meters by tomorrow morning.” The announcement came a day after the space agency shared that the divergence between the satellites had been overcome and they were placed on a slow-divergence path to bring them closer to each other.

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Please note that due to deviation, the 'docking' experiment had to be postponed for the second time. ISRO had successfully launched the Spadex mission on December 30, 2024. After the launch, ISRO is preparing for 'docking' which requires several steps. 'Docking' in space is a complex process, which till now only three countries namely America, Russia and China have been able to master.

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What is Mission Spadex

Let us tell you that Spadex Mission is a special program which has been done to perform docking in space by launching two small spacecraft with PSLV rocket. This special and important technology is very important for India's space plans like sending to the Moon, bringing samples from the Moon, and construction and operation of the Indian Space Station (BAS), etc. Through this mission, India is making a big effort to become the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology.