Mon Dec 30 19:06:16 UTC 2024: ## India Launches Mission to Join Elite Space Club
**Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh –** India took a giant leap towards becoming a major space power on December 30th, launching the SpaDeX mission. This ambitious project aims to master the complex technique of spacecraft docking, a capability currently possessed by only three nations: the United States, Russia, and China.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) mission aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The mission involves two 220-kilogram satellites, a “chaser” and a “target,” which will attempt to dock in low-Earth orbit approximately 475 km above the Earth’s surface. The docking maneuver, a technically challenging feat, is slated for the first week of January.
Success would mark India as the fourth nation capable of this crucial technology, essential for future lunar missions like Chandrayaan-4 and the nation’s planned 2035 launch of its own space station, the Bharatiya Antriksh Station. The SpaDeX mission will also test the transfer of electric power between docked spacecraft and demonstrate advanced composite spacecraft control.
The mission is not solely focused on docking. It also includes POEM-4 (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module 4), utilizing the spent fourth stage of the PSLV rocket as a platform for microgravity experiments. This initiative will allow scientists to conduct research in a microgravity environment for up to three months, hosting a total of 24 payloads from both ISRO and various non-governmental entities. Experiments include testing a robotic arm designed for capturing space debris, a key component for future space station construction and maintenance.
The SpaDeX mission is a significant step forward for India’s space program, propelling its ambitions to build an independent space station and further cement its place among the world’s leading spacefaring nations.
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