On Friday (Jan 17), just a day after India successfully docked two satellites in space, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released a captivating video that captured the exact moment of the historic docking.
This achievement positions India as the fourth country in the world—after the US, Russia, and China—to master space-docking technology.
ISRO successfully completed docking of two SPADEX satellites (SDX-01 & SDX-02) in the early hours of 16 January, 2025.#SPADEX #ISRO pic.twitter.com/UJrWpMLxmh
— ISRO (@isro) January 17, 2025
Groundbreaking achievement for India
In the early hours of January 16, 2025, ISRO completed the flawless docking of two SPADEX satellites— SDX-01 and SDX-02—successfully executing the critical operation. The event places India among an elite group of nations with advanced space-docking capabilities, which is a significant step forward in the nation's space ambitions.
The SpaDeX mission, which launched on December 30, 2024, was designed to demonstrate India’s competence in spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking, showcasing the nation's growing technological prowess in space.
Also read | ISRO's SpaDeX Mission successful: India becomes 4th nation to accomplish space docking
Flawless Docking process
The docking process was carried out with exceptional precision. The spacecraft moved smoothly from a 15-meter hold point to a 3-meter position before initiating a perfectly accurate docking.
ISRO celebrates the historic moment
ISRO took to social media to celebrate the achievement, calling it a “historic moment” for India. In their post, ISRO announced, “India became the 4th country to achieve successful Space Docking. Congratulations to the entire team! Congratulations to India!”
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Strategic importance for future missions
ISRO emphasised that this success is a pivotal step for the nation’s future missions, including Chandrayaan-4, Gaganyaan (India's crewed mission), the establishment of a space station, and plans for sending an astronaut to the Moon.
Looking ahead, ISRO will conduct undocking and power transfer tests in the coming days, further strengthening the nation's capabilities in space exploration.
(With inputs from agencies)