Thu Mar 13 07:24:21 UTC 2025: ## ISRO Successfully Undocks Space Docking Experiment Satellites
**Bengaluru, March 13, 2025** – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced today the successful undocking of two satellites involved in the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission. The undocking, achieved in a single attempt at 9:20 am, marks a significant milestone in India’s space program.
The two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), were launched on December 30, 2024, and successfully docked on January 16, 2025, making India the fourth country to achieve orbital satellite docking. The undocking operation, monitored from ground stations in Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Mauritius, occurred in a 460 km circular orbit. ISRO confirmed both satellites are now orbiting independently and functioning normally.
ISRO officials stated that the undocking was executed after extensive analysis of the docked satellites’ in-orbit performance. Rigorous ground simulations and tests were crucial to the success of the operation, which was planned for a window between March 10th and 25th.
The SpaDeX mission is a crucial step towards future ambitious projects, including sending an Indian astronaut to the Moon, lunar sample return missions, and the construction of an Indian Space Station. The technology demonstrated by SpaDeX, including inter-satellite power transfer, is vital for advanced space operations. ISRO plans to conduct further experiments with the satellites in the coming days.
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