In-space docking technology of SpaDeX satellites; PSLV-C60 ready for launch on Dec 30th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ISRO's complex in-space docking technology experiment of two satellites will take place on the 30th. PSLV-C60 rocket will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.58 pm on December 30th. If successful, India will be the fourth nation globally to achieve this feat.

The project is vital for future projects such as Chandrayaan 4, to help assemble spacecraft parts in orbit. Countries like America, Russia and China have this technology in hand.

The test of docking technology that combines two satellites in space is called SpaDeX mission. SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) satellites, weighing 220 kg each will be launched into an orbit 470 km above Earth. There will be a distance of 20 km between the two satellites. During rotation, the distance between them will be reduced to 5 km, 1.5 km, 500 m, 15 m and 3 m. The next step will be docking. The mission duration is 66 days. The satellites will remain in space for two years.

24 research instruments will be launched along with the mission. Fourteen of them belong to various labs of ISRO and ten belong to private universities. The two satellites were built and tested by Anand Technologies, Thiruvananthapuram. After delivering the satellites, the fourth part of the rocket that remains in space will be seeded and tested. The recycling of rocket parts is called POEM 4 (PSLV Orbital Experiment Module).

POEM 4 will have a robotic arm to grab space debris. There will also be facilities to test the green propulsion system. The plan is to germinate and grow eight lentil seeds. The experiment is part of the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies developed at VSSC, Thumba. The seed experiment was carried out at the Amity Plant Experimental Module in Space developed by Amity University, Mumbai. The objective is to study the growth of lettuce in a microgravity environment.