ISRO gears up for a significant milestone as the SPEDEX mission moves closer to in-space docking, set to happen on January 7. In a matter of weeks, ISRO plans to connect two spacecraft in space, marking a breakthrough in space exploration.
ISRO successfully launched the SPEDEX mission at 10 PM on Monday, using the PSLV-C60 rocket from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. At 10:15 PM, SPEDX-A and SPEDX-B entered orbit. Within 15 minutes, the chaser and target spacecraft separated and positioned themselves in their designated orbit. The chaser, traveling in one direction, moved away from the target, and both spacecraft now orbit Earth at 470 km above the surface.
By this evening, the distance between the two spacecraft will increase to 20 km. Over the next four days, both spacecraft will gather solar energy and steadily approach each other for docking.
The chaser will be navigated toward the target and, upon reaching a distance of 3 meters, will close in at a speed of 10 millimeters per second to initiate docking. Afterward, both spacecraft will power up and then un-dock. ISRO aims to complete the process in 66 days.
Additionally, ISRO deployed 24 payloads of the PM-4 module at 350 km above the surface yesterday. These instruments will facilitate experiments such as seed germination in space, studying bacterial growth in the gastrointestinal tract, and analyzing the development of plant cells in green leaves.