Sriharikota8 hours ago
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ISRO deployed two spacecraft 470 km above the Earth.
ISRO launched SpaDeX i.e., Space Docking Experiment mission on December 30 at 10 pm from Sriharikota. Under this, two spacecraft were deployed 470 km above the earth with PSLV-C60 rocket.
Now on January 7, 2025, in this mission, these two spacecraft traveling in space ten times faster than the speed of a bullet will be connected. If the mission is successful, India will become the fourth country to do so after Russia, America and China.
India’s Chandrayaan-4 mission depends on the success of the mission, in which samples of lunar soil will be brought to Earth. Chandrayaan-4 mission can be launched in 2028.
Before proceeding further in the news, pictures of the mission…
PSLV-C60 rocket ready on the launchpad before the launch of the SpaceX mission.
Spadex mission was launched from Sriharikota at 10 pm.
Spacex Mission Objective: To showcase docking and undocking technology to the world
- To demonstrate the technology of docking and undocking of two small spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
- To demonstrate the technology to transfer electric power between two docked spacecraft.
- Space docking means joining or connecting two spacecraft in space.
Spacex mission process: Launch from PSLV rocket, then docking 470 km above The mission consists of two small spacecraft, Target and Chaser. These were launched into separate orbits at an altitude of 470 km from the PSLV-C60 rocket.
After deployment, the spacecraft are traveling at a speed of approximately 28,800 kilometers per hour. This speed is 36 times the speed of a commercial aircraft and 10 times the speed of a bullet.
Now the target and chaser spacecraft will begin the far-range rendezvous phase. In this phase, there will be no direct communication link between the two spacecraft. These will be guided from the ground.
The spacecraft will come closer. Will use laser range finder when measuring distances between 5km to 0.25km. Docking camera will be used for the range of 300 meters to 1 meter. The visual camera will be used at a distance of 1 meter to 0 meter.
After successful docking, electrical power transfer between the two spacecraft will be demonstrated. Then there will be undocking of the spacecrafts and both of them will start the operation of their respective payloads. This will continue to provide valuable data for about two years.
The spacecraft will be docked at an altitude of 470 km above the Earth. ISRO has shared an animated video of the docking.
Camera in Spacecraft A and two payloads in Spacecraft B. For the standalone mission phase after docking experiments, Spacecraft A carries a High Resolution Camera (HRC). Spacecraft B carries two payloads – the Miniature Multispectral (MMX) payload and the Radiation Monitor (RadMon). These payloads will provide high resolution images, natural resource monitoring, vegetation studies and onorbit radiation environment measurements which have many applications.
Both Spadex satellites have been built by Anant Technologies Limited (ATL) under the guidance of ISRO engineers. M Sankaran, Director of UR Rao Satellite Centre, said on Monday night – Till now, no big satellite had ever been made alone in the industry. This is the first time that two satellites have been integrated. It is expected that in the coming days we will launch more such satellites, which are made in the industry.
Dr. Subba Rao Pavuluri, Chairman of ATL, said, “Being a part of this important mission reflects ATL’s commitment towards India’s Human Space Programme.
Why mission is necessary: The success of missions like Chandrayaan-4 depends on this
- The technology will be used in Chandrayaan-4 mission in which samples from the Moon will be brought back to Earth.
- Docking technology will also be required to build a space station and then to travel there.
- This technology is also necessary for the Gaganyaan mission in which humans will be sent into space.
- This technology is necessary for satellite servicing, interplanetary missions and sending humans to the moon.
India took patent on its docking mechanism This docking mechanism has been named ‘Indian Docking System’. ISRO has also taken a patent on this docking system. India had to develop its own docking mechanism, as no space agency shares the details of this extremely complex process.
24 payloads were also sent to the mission for experiment. 24 payloads have also been sent in this mission for experiments in microgravity. These payloads were in the fourth stage of the PSLV rocket called POEM (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module). 14 payloads are from ISRO and 10 payloads are from Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs).
America docked for the first time on March 16, 1966
- The first docking of two spacecraft in space was accomplished on March 16, 1966, in the Gemini VIII mission. The Gemini VIII spacecraft docked with the Agena target vehicle, which had been launched earlier the same day.
- The Soviet Union (now Russia) first docked two spacecraft in space on October 30, 1967. The unmanned Kosmos 186 and 188 were then automatically docked. The docking was an important step in the Soviet Union’s return to flight program.
- China’s first space docking occurred on November 2, 2011, when the uncrewed Shenzhou 8 spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong-1 space lab module. The docking took place at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu, China.
