The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the much-awaited Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission on Monday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This mission, carried out using the trusted (PSLV) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
The primary objective of the SpaDeX mission is to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft (SDX01, which is the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target, nominally) in a low-Earth circular orbit. Secondary objectives include:
- Demonstration of the transfer of electric power between the docked spacecraft, which is essential for future applications such as in-space robotics.
- Composite spacecraft control.
- Payload operations after undocking will deploy two specially designed satellites weighing approximately 220 kg each into low-Earth orbit.