ISRO Postpones Space Docking Experiment for the Second Time

The SpaDeX mission faces delays due to unexpected satellite drift, with no new docking date announced yet.

ISRO's Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) was postponed twice, initially scheduled for January 7 and then rescheduled to January 9, due to excessive drift between satellites during maneuvers.
The mission involves two 220-kg satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), launched on December 30, which aim to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous, docking, and undocking in orbit.
ISRO confirmed that the satellites remain safe and have been adjusted to a slow drift course, but further ground simulations and sensor calibrations are required before proceeding.
SpaDeX is a critical step toward future missions such as satellite servicing, space station operations, and India's lunar sample return mission, Chandrayaan-4.
If successful, India will join the United States, Russia, and China in mastering in-space docking technology, a key milestone for its space exploration goals.