ISRO Achieves Another Milestone: Successful Space Docking
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has once again created history by achieving a significant breakthrough in space technology. ISRO successfully completed a space docking operation, making India the fourth country globally to achieve this feat. The mission marks a significant step towards the establishment of India’s own space station in the future.
On December 30, ISRO launched two small satellites, SDx01 (Chaser) and SDx02 (Target), into orbit using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). This experiment was conducted with the objective of mastering space docking technology, a critical capability for constructing a space station.
ISRO had made three prior attempts to dock these satellites but faced delays due to various technical challenges. On January 12, the satellites were brought within three meters of each other, but the docking process was postponed. Finally, ISRO announced the successful completion of the docking operation, demonstrating India’s growing expertise in advanced space technologies.
With this achievement, India has joined an elite group of nations, including the United States, Russia, and China, that possess space docking technology. The mission aligns with ISRO’s broader ambitions, such as collecting samples from the Moon and returning them to Earth, establishing an indigenous space station, and sending humans to the Moon by 2040.
