What happened?
ISRO’s SpaDEX mission successfully achieved its second satellite docking. Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced that the second docking of satellites was accomplished on Monday. The PSLV-C60 / SpaDEX mission was launched on December 30, 2024. The first docking was successfully completed on January 16, 2025, and the satellites were undocked on March 13, 2025. The mission involved the docking of two small spacecraft — SDX01 (the Chaser) and SDX02 (the Target) — each weighing around 220 kg. These satellites were launched aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket from Sriharikota on December 30, 2024.
Why it matters to India
The successful docking of the SpaDEX satellites in January made India the fourth country in the world to achieve satellite docking in space, following the US, Russia, and China. The docking technology, indigenously developed by ISRO, is known as the Bharatiya Docking System and is a major step toward building India’s capabilities in orbital docking. This technology is crucial for future human spaceflight, satellite servicing missions, and establishing a space station. It will also be essential for India’s upcoming missions, such as future lunar expeditions like Chandrayaan-4, and for conducting operations without relying on Earth-based navigation systems.