India Launches First Space Docking Mission

India launched its first space docking mission on Monday, on an Indian-made rocket, in an attempt to become the fourth country to achieve the feat.

The mission, called Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state at 1630 GMT aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) "workhorse" PSLV rocket. 

The mission director called the launch successful around 15 minutes after the spacecraft reached an altitude of around 470 km.

The expedition is seen as pivotal for future space endeavors, including satellite servicing and the operation of the country's planned space station.

In-space docking technology is crucial when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve shared mission objectives.

The Indian mission involves deploying two small spacecraft, each weighing about 220 kilograms, into a 470-km circular orbit. 

It will also demonstrate the transfer of electric power between the docked spacecraft, a capability vital for applications such as in-space robotics, composite spacecraft control, and payload operations following undocking.

In order to detect the levels of electron and proton radiation in space and provide vital information for upcoming human spaceflight missions, each satellite carries sophisticated payloads such as imaging systems and radiation monitoring equipment.

S. Somanath, the chairman of ISRO, said that the docking technique might be tested in a week or so, with a tentative date of January 7.

“The rocket has placed the satellites in the right orbit,” he said.

A successful demonstration would place India alongside the United States, Russia, and China as the only countries to have developed and tested the advanced technological feat.

In a first for India, the satellites and rocket were not tested at a government agency but rather at a private business called Ananth Technologies.

"Display of this technology is not just about being able to join a rare group of countries who own it, it also opens up the market for ISRO to be the launch partner for various global missions that need docking facilities or assembly in space," said astrophysicist Somak Raychaudhary of Ashoka University.

An operating uncrewed space laboratory has been created out of the PSLV's fourth stage, which typically becomes space junk. The rocket's final stage has been converted into an orbiting laboratory that will be utilized for a number of studies.

"The PSLV Orbital Experiment Module (POEM) is a practical solution deployed by ISRO that allows Indian start-ups, academic institutions, and research organizations to test their space technologies without the need to launch entire satellites. By making this platform accessible, we are reducing entry barriers and enabling a wider range of entities to contribute to the space sector," said Pawan Goenka, chairman of India's space regulatory body.