Indian space agency ISRO successfully launched PSLV-C60 rocket on Monday, December 30. It has put two satellites into orbit to conduct a docking experiment. Its success is crucial for the state’s future manned program.
India’s first docking mission
On Monday, India launched a rocket carrying two small spacecraft to test docking in space, a critical step toward realizing the country’s dream of a space station and a manned mission to the Moon.
The mission is “vital to India’s future space ambitions,” Jitendra Singh, the country’s science and technology minister, said in a statement before the launch, which was broadcast live by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The PSLV-C60 rocket, which was launched Monday night from the Sriharikota spaceport and took off into the night sky, contained two satellites weighing 220 kilograms (485 pounds).
ISRO named the mission SpaDeX, or the Space Docking Experiment.
Importance of docking technologies
“The PSLV-C60 launch vehicle successfully launched SpaDeX and 24 payloads,” the statement said. The mission aims to “develop and demonstrate the technology required for the approach, docking and undocking of two small spacecraft,” the company added.
The technology is “essential” to India’s lunar exploration plans, Singh added, calling it “a key technology for future human spaceflight and satellite servicing missions.” It will involve “precision rendezvous,” maneuvering satellites in Earth’s orbit at 28,800 kilometers per hour.
Their relative speeds will be reduced to 0.036 km/h to “merge into one in space”, ISRO said.
India’s space ambitions
The world’s most populous country has a relatively low-budget aerospace program that is rapidly approaching the benchmarks set by the world’s space powers.
“With this mission, India is moving closer to becoming the fourth country in the world to have docking technology in space,” ISRO added, after Russia, the US and China.
Over the past decade, the world’s most populous country has greatly expanded its space ambitions: its space program has grown significantly in size and rate, matching the achievements of recognized nations, but at a much lower cost.
In August 2023, it became only the fourth country to land an unmanned vehicle on the moon after Russia, the United States and China.
According to phys.org
