ISRO’s SpaDeX mission, launching with PSLV-C60, will demonstrate in-space docking using two small spacecraft.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its final mission for 2024 on December 30 with the PSLV C60/SPADEX Mission. The launch is scheduled at 9.58 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The space agency, for the first time, will be attempting the Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) mission which will demonstrate in-space docking using two small spacecraft.
According to ISRO, SPADEX is designed to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking using two small satellites. “SPADEX will serve as a milestone in advancing India’s capabilities in space docking, a critical technology for future space missions, including satellite servicing, space station operations, and interplanetary missions,” the space agency said.
The demonstration of this technology is essential for futuristic missions such as sending an Indian astronaut on the Moon, sample return from the Moon, the building and operation of the Indian Space Station.
The PSLV-C60 will launch the two small spacecraft Chaser and Target also named SDX01 and SDX02 weighing about 220 kg each into a 470 km circular orbit at 55-degree inclination separately.
SDX02 spacecraft will be the first to separate 15 minutes after the launch followed by SDX01 spacecraft a few seconds later.
Incremental velocity
“The demonstrated precision of the PSLV vehicle will be utilised to give a small relative velocity between the Target and Chaser spacecraft at the time of separation from the launch vehicle. This incremental velocity will allow the Target spacecraft to build a 10-20 km inter-satellite separation with respect to the Chaser within a day. At this point, the relative velocity between the Target will be compensated using the propulsion system of the Target spacecraft,” ISRO said.
ISRO added that at the end of this drift arrest maneuver, the Target and Chaser will be in the same orbit with identical velocity but separated by about 20 km, known as Far Rendezvous.
“With a similar strategy of introducing and then compensating for a small relative velocity between the two spacecraft, the Chaser will approach the Target with progressively reduced inter-satellite distances of 5 km, 1.5 km, 500 m, 225 m, 15 m, and 3 m, ultimately leading to the docking of the two spacecraft,” it added.
The docking is expected to take place in the first week of January 2025.
Twenty-four PS4-Orbital Experiment Module (POEM-4) payloads will be flown onboard the PSLV-C60 SPADEX mission.
Published – December 29, 2024 07:22 pm IST
