Overview
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed the second satellite docking of its SpaDeX mission on April 21, 2025.
- SpaDeX, launched on December 30, 2024, demonstrated autonomous docking, undocking, and rendezvous using two small satellites in a 460-km orbit.
- India is now the fourth nation, after the US, Russia, and China, to achieve in-space docking, a key capability for advanced space missions.
- The mission validated the Bharatiya Docking System, an indigenous technology featuring sensors, inter-satellite communication, and autonomous power transfer.
- This achievement supports India's future space ambitions, including the Chandrayaan-4 lunar mission, Gaganyaan human spaceflight, and a proposed space station.