Bengaluru, March 13, 2025: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has de-docked its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDex) successfully, as a major technological advancement for India‘s future space missions, including Chandrayaan-4, Gaganyaan, and the Bharatiya Antriksha Station.
ISRO officially declared the successful undocking of the SpaDex mission today, after a series of ultra-careful maneuvers. In a tweet on X, the space agency explained the steps to achieve this, which involved an SDX-2 extension, the intended release of Capture Lever 3, the capture mechanism disengagement in SDX-2, and the final de-capture command for both satellites.
Minister Hails ISRO‘s Achievement
Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh congratulated the ISRO team on X, describing the achievement as “heartening for every Indian.” He added, “This opens the way for the effortless execution of ambitious forthcoming missions, such as the Bharatiya Antriksha Station, Chandrayaan-4, and Gaganyaan. PM Narendra Modi’s ongoing benevolence keeps spirits aloft.”
A Historic Feat in Space Docking
Launched on December 30, 2024, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SpaDex mission was comprised of two satellites—SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target)—that docked successfully on January 16, 2025. With this, India is just the fourth nation in the world, following the United States, Russia, and China, to have successfully completed space docking.
What‘s Next for SpaDex?
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, in an earlier statement to PTI, confirmed that further experiments with the space docking mission will begin on March 15. He explained, “We have charted out a plan and will start the actual experiments from March 15. Currently, the unified satellite is in an elliptical orbit, giving us a 10-15-day window every two months to conduct various experiments.”
Why Is SpaDex Important?
SpaDex is a low-cost mission aimed at proving autonomous space docking with two small spacecraft deployed by a PSLV vehicle. The technology is essential for use on future missions that involve multiple spacecraft coming together in space, whether for interplanetary missions, modules for space stations, or human spaceflight.
With SpaDex success, ISRO has made a huge leap towards becoming proficient in sophisticated space maneuvers, inching India closer to achieving sustained human presence in space and advanced interplanetary exploration. Watch this space as ISRO prepares for the next round of experiments!
