Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) plan of setting up its own space station got a mammoth boost on Monday when its most trusted launch vehicle, PSLV-60 successfully placed two space docking experiment (SpaDex) spacecrafts at the desired point in the low earth orbit (LEO).
ISRO chairman S Somanath said, “I announce the successful launch of the PSLV-C60 for the SpaDeX mission…The rocket has placed the satellites in the right orbit….congratulations to the entire team of the PSLV project who put the satellites in the right orbit. Also, the Spadex team worked on a very innovative, novel, cost-effective docking demonstration mission using two small satellite bus architectures.”
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“PSLV C60 mission accomplished as of SpaDeX spacecraft is considered,” said Mission director M Jayakumar.
The 44.5 metre tall rocket carried two spacecraft — Spacecraft A and B, each weighing 220kg which would help in space docking, satellite servicing and interplanetary missions. SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV.
After the successful launch, ISRO said 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.
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Dubbed as a prelude to ISRO setting up its own Space Station by 2035, the PSLV-C60 mission would also make India join an elite club in achieving this feat which is expected to take place in the coming days. ISRO officials said that the lift-off was deferred by two minutes owing to some technical reasons. “The spacecraft that would aid ISRO in demonstrating space docking, a critical technology for future space missions, got separated successfully and were placed into the desired low earth orbit late on Monday night,” ISRO said.
An ISRO scientist said that the two spacecraft-Spacecraft A (SDX01) or the ‘Chaser’ and Spacecraft B (SDX02) or the ‘Target’ would be merged together later at an altitude of about 470 km after travelling at the same speed and distance. “By mastering the docking technologies, ISRO is set to enhance its operational flexibility and also expand its mission horizons,” he said, adding that others countries which achieve this technological feat are China, Russia and the US.
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He further said that the technology demonstration was essential for some of India’s space ambitions like Indian on Moon, getting samples from the Moon (Chandrayaan-4 mission), building and operation of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, which is planned to be set up by 2035..
The launch of PSLV-C60 would be the last mission undertaken by the ISRO in 2024. Incidentally, the space agency began 2024 with the successful launch of PSLV-C58/XPOSAT mission on January 1. The PSLV rocket also becomes the first vehicle to be integrated upto the fourth stage at the PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) that has been established at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
