Mon Jan 06 14:37:47 IST 2025: ## ISRO Postpones Space Docking Experiment by Two Days
**Bengaluru, January 6, 2025** – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced a two-day postponement of its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission. The docking of two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), originally scheduled for January 7th, will now take place on January 9th.
The postponement, announced on Monday, is attributed to the need for further ground simulations based on an identified abort scenario. ISRO assures that this delay is not a cause for concern, as the experiment falls within the extended window that ends on January 10th.
The SpaDeX mission, launched on December 30th, 2024, aboard the PSLV C60 rocket, aims to demonstrate crucial technologies for spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking. Mastering these technologies is considered essential for future ambitious missions, including sending an Indian astronaut to the Moon, lunar sample return, and the construction and operation of an Indian Space Station. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath had previously indicated a docking timeframe of around January 7th.
While the delay has been announced, ISRO officials remain confident in the mission’s success and continue to monitor the satellites. The successful completion of SpaDeX will place India among an elite group of nations with this advanced space technology.
First Piper 