ISRO Advances Space Docking Effort with Historic SpaDeX Mission Trial

Indian satellites SDX01 and SDX02 close to 3 meters in a trial, with final docking decision pending further analysis.

ISRO's Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) aims to make India the fourth country to achieve in-space satellite docking, following the United States, Russia, and China.
Two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), were brought to within 3 meters of each other in a trial after initial positioning at 15 meters.
The docking process has been postponed twice due to challenges like excess drift and the need for additional sensor validation and ground simulations.
The mission uses the indigenously developed Bhartiya Docking System and is critical for future projects, including the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and Chandrayaan-4.
Launched on December 30, 2024, aboard a PSLV C60 rocket, the satellites are currently in a 475-kilometer orbit and undergoing further analysis before a final docking attempt is made.