What is ISRO's Spadex Mission? Know its objective and important information
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its ambitious Spadex mission today (30 December) at 10.00 pm.
It will be launched through a PSLV-C60 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This mission is an important step in India's space docking capabilities.
The Spadex mission aims to take India to a new height in space technology, opening the door to new possibilities for future missions.
What is Spadex Mission?
ISRO's Spadex mission is a historic initiative towards including India in the elite group of countries with space docking capabilities.
In this mission, 2 satellites SDX01 (chaser) and SDX02 (target) will be deployed in low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 470 kilometers.
Its main objective is to test rendezvous, docking and undocking techniques. This mission will lay the foundation for developing autonomous docking technology required for future missions like Chandrayaan-4.
Docking process and technical aspects
The docking process involves connecting 2 satellites by bringing them close together properly. In Spadex, the chaser and target satellites will gradually come closer from a distance of 20 kilometers to 3 meters.
Differential GNSS-based satellite positioning system (SPS) has been used for accuracy, in which the RODP processor calculates the position and velocity of the satellites.
VHF/UHF transceivers ensure the exchange of data between satellites. This system makes Spadex a small but important space docking mission.
Importance of Spadex mission
The Spadex mission can bring India into the category of countries that have mastered space docking technology.
This technology is only possessed by countries like America, Russia and China. Despite small satellites and limited resources, ISRO has made this unique effort to dock with high accuracy.
This mission will lay the necessary technological foundation for future space missions. Along with this, it will also promote India's self-reliance in space technology.
Launch preparations and process
The Spadex satellites have been developed at ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC).
Their integration and testing took place in Bangalore, while the final preparations for the launch were carried out at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSP) in Andhra Pradesh.
The orbital phase of the mission will be managed by ISTRAC, supported by various ground stations. ISRO has thoroughly reviewed all technical and structural aspects to ensure every stage of the launch is successful.