SpaDeX docking: Spacecrafts are at distance of 1.5 km, to come closer on January 11

ISRO's SpaDeX satellites to dock after delays, marking India's progress in space docking technology on January 11.

“The two Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) satellites that ISRO is hoping to unite are at a distance of 1.5 km and will be brought much closer on January 11,” the space agency said on Friday (January 10, 2025).

The SpaDeX space docking experiment has so far missed two publicly announced schedules, on January 7 and January 9.

“Spacecrafts are at a distance of 1.5 km and on hold mode. Further drift to 500 m is planned to be achieved by tomorrow morning,” ISRO said in a post on ‘X’.

This announcement came a day after the space agency shared that the drift between satellites that had caused the postponement of the docking experiment for the second time had been arrested and they were put in a slow drift course to move closer to each other.

ISRO successfully launched the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission on December 30, 2024.

The PSLV C60 rocket carrying two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), along with 24 payloads, had lifted off from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and about 15 minutes after liftoff, the two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kg each were launched into a 475-km circular orbit as intended.

After the launch, ISRO has been preparing for the docking, which requires multiple steps/stages.