The Indian Space Research Organisation will ring in the New Year 2024 with a bang-the SpaDeX, an in-orbit space docking experiment scheduled on December 30, 2024. This will depict country capability for autonomous in-orbit docking-a complex procedure where two spacecraft rendezvous and physically connect while orbiting Earth.
Mission SpaDeX Overview
Launch Details: SpaDeX will launch on 30 December 2024 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 21:58 IST onboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C60.
Orbit Configuration: It would have two satellites, “Chaser” SDX01 and “Target” SDX02, weighing 220 kg each. These would be put in orbits little differing from each other such that they would perform a series of precision maneuvers culminating in eventual docking.
Mission Object
1. Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking: Development and demonstration of technologies for two spacecraft to locate, approach, and dock each other without human intervention.
2. Post-Docking Operations: Verify the transfer of power between docked spacecraft as well as the capability of performing payloads after undocking.
3. Attitude Control Integration: Verify capability of attitude control system in one spacecraft to be adopted during docking to drive the attitude of the other.
4. Formation Flying: A coordinated motion and positioning in orbit of two spacecraft
Significance
Technological Leap: If it makes it successfully docked in orbit, then India would indeed be the member of an extremely small club with three successful countries until now and that too include the United States, Russia, and China, and which adds further human spaceflight capability, satellite servicing, and proximity operations
.Future Missions: The technologies developed for SpaDeX shall continue to remain of high value for the future missions Gaganyaan, it is a program on human space flight besides the future projects Indian Space Station, Bharatiya Antariksha Station.
Precision Maneuvering: It needs to achieve very high precision control so that it aligns and mates spacecraft at relative velocities as low as 10 millimeters per hour.
Compact Design: The inertia of the smaller satellites is quite low and, hence, challenging for the engineering aspect in the design of the docking mechanism.
Development and Collaboration:ISRO had designed the SpaDeX satellites in collaboration with Ananth Technologies. It was assembled, integrated, and tested in under three months.
It is the Bhartiya Docking System, or BDS, which is based on NASA’s International Docking System Standard but with innovations such as a dual-motor actuation design that will improve alignment accuracy and security of connection.
Now, with SpaDeX to be completed ISRO is going to achieve the long-awaited success for it is readying the first-ever mission and an excellent opportunity to enhance its ranking in the world space fraternity and pave a pathway for more complex and ambitious space missions in the times ahead.
