SpaDeX Mission

News: India’s SpaDeX mission, designed to develop and demonstrate the technology necessary for docking and undocking spacecraft in space, is set to launch aboard PSLV-C60 on December 30.

About SpaDeX Mission

• It is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV.
• PSLV-C60 will carry two spacecraft, Chaser (SDX01) and Target (SDX02), into a low-Earth circular orbit (470 km).
• Objectives:
  • Primary: Demonstrate rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two spacecraft.
  • Secondary:
    • Enable the transfer of electric power between docked spacecraft to support future robotic applications.
    • Composite spacecraft control, and Payload operations after undocking.
• In addition to its docking objectives, the SpaDeX mission will conduct microgravity experiments using PSLV’s spent fourth stage, known as POEM-4 (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module).
• New Technologies: The indigenous technologies developed for enabling this docking mission are as follows:
  • Docking Mechanism: It is a low-impact androgynous docking system with two motors.
  • Sensor Suite: It includes advance senors like Laser Range Finder (LRF), Proximity and Docking Sensor (PDS) and video monitors for precise docking.
  • RODP processor: A GNSS-based system for precise determination of inter-satellite position and velocity.
• Significance of the Mission:
  • Space Research and Exploration: This will pave the way for India’s space ambitions, such as Chandrayaan-4, lunar sample-return missions, establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station etc.
  • Technological Milestone: With this mission, India is on track to become the fourth country in the world to possess space docking technology.