Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
♦ The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the successful completion of its SpaDeX mission’s space de-docking on 13 March 2025. ♦ It marked a significant achievement in India’s journey towards advanced space exploration. ♦ The undocking process involved a series of carefully coordinated steps, resulting in the successful separation of the SDX-01 (Chaser) and SDX-02 (Target) satellites. ♦ These satellites were launched on December 30, 2024, aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C60 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. ♦ ISRO had previously achieved the docking of the two SpaDeX satellites on January 16, 2025, marking India’s entry into an elite group of countries—alongside China, Russia, and the United States—that possess space docking technology. ♦ The SpaDeX mission aims to demonstrate India’s capability in spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking, which are crucial for future missions such as satellite servicing, space station operations, and interplanetary exploration.