New Delhi: In a significant breakthrough for India’s space ambitions, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the second satellite docking under its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission. The development marks a major step forward in India’s pursuit of advanced space operations.
Announcing the milestone on Monday, Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded ISRO’s growing expertise in complex space manoeuvres. “Glad to inform that the second docking of satellites has been accomplished successfully,” Dr. Singh stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He also confirmed that additional experiments are planned over the next two weeks.
#ISRO SPADEX Update:
Glad to inform that the second docking of satellites has been accomplished successfully.As informed earlier, the PSLV-C60 / SPADEX mission was successfully launched on 30 December 2024. Thereafter the satellites were successfully docked for the first time…
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) April 21, 2025
The SpaDeX mission was launched on December 30, 2024, aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket. It deployed two specially designed satellites — SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) — into a 475-km orbit. The first successful docking took place on January 16, 2025, followed by an undocking operation on March 13.
Today’s docking operation was executed in a 460-km orbit with a 45-degree inclination and was completed in a single, precise attempt. The achievement reinforces ISRO’s credentials in satellite rendezvous and autonomous orbital docking — a highly sophisticated capability previously demonstrated only by the United States, Russia, and China.
The SpaDeX mission is designed as a cost-effective technology demonstrator, critical for India’s upcoming space endeavors, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, the Chandrayaan-4 lunar mission, and the development of a domestic space station.
ISRO is expected to carry out further docking and undocking exercises under SpaDeX in the coming weeks to fine-tune its capabilities and enhance mission readiness.
