New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: India has become the fourth country in the world to have successfully achieved space docking, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Thursday. The docking was part of the SpaDeX mission. “The process involved maneuvering from a 15-meter to a 3-meter hold point, followed by precise docking, retraction, and rigidisation for stability. Docking successfully completed,” ISRO announced.
India docked its name in space history! 🌄
Good Morning India 🇮🇳!
ISRO’s SpaDeX mission accomplishes historic docking success. Proud to witness this moment! 🛰️🛰️✨ #ISRO #SpaDeX #ProudIndia pic.twitter.com/aVWCY7XRdN
— ISRO InSight (@ISROSight) January 16, 2025
The ISRO announced that the control of the two satellites as a single object was successfully established post docking.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO on its historic achievement, calling the success of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) a crucial step for India’s future space missions. “Congratulations to ISRO scientists and the space community for this landmark achievement,” he posted on X.
“Congratulations to #ISRO India has made history by becoming the 4th country to achieve successful space docking. This monumental achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and innovation of the entire @isro team. A huge congratulations to every scientist, engineer, and visionary behind this remarkable accomplishment,” wrote Odisha CM Mohan Majhi on X.
Congratulations to #ISRO
India has made history by becoming the 4th country to achieve successful space docking. This monumental achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and innovation of the entire @isro team.
A huge congratulations to every scientist,… https://t.co/e8EeTsd9zQ
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) January 16, 2025
The SpaDeX mission, led by project director N. Surendran, was designed to demonstrate the technology required for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of spacecraft in low-Earth orbit, ISRO stated. It will be a crucial mechanism for future high-profile projects such as the Indian Space Station and Chandrayaan-4.
The mission also aimed to display the transfer of electric power between the docked spacecraft. This technology will be vital for in-space robotics, spacecraft control, and payload operations following undocking, reports claimed.
