Dangerous maneuver: SpaDeX satellites approached to three meters at an altitude of 475 km

Two Indian satellites approached to a distance of three meters during a test space docking attempt. This was announced by the Indian Space Agency (ISRO) in the morning. In the future, the satellites will again approach each other at a speed of 10 mm/s.

Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission. Image: India Today

“The test approach to 15 meters and then to 3 meters has been completed. Now the spacecraft are moved away to a safe distance. The docking process will be carried out after detailed analysis of the obtained data,” ISRO noted in the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission report.

Docking satellites is an extremely complex process during which spacecraft perform maneuvers to achieve a “handshake,” as described by ISRO. The Bhartiya Docking System, developed in India, is used for this purpose.

The SpaDeX mission was launched on December 30 when satellites SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) were placed into a 475-kilometer circular orbit using a PSLV C60 rocket.

Successful completion of this mission will make India the fourth country in the world to master satellite docking technology. This will contribute significantly to future space projects, particularly the Bharatiya Antariksh space station and the Chandrayaan 4 mission.

ISRO has already postponed the date of the historic docking twice. The head of the agency, S. Somanath, emphasized that this is India’s first attempt to dock satellites. 

SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) satellites of the SpaDeX mission

“Final docking will only be accomplished after all sensors are fully calibrated and tested. The algorithms and scripts are thoroughly tested on Earth before commands are sent to the spacecraft to perform the task autonomously,” Somanath said.

After successful docking, the two satellites will operate as a single spacecraft. Electricity will be transferred from one satellite to the other, which will be a key indicator of successful docking. The end of the mission will be the undocking of the satellites and their independent operation.

Earlier we reported on how NASA tested the Orion capsule’s docking system with the Starship.

According to deccanherald.com

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