In a major achievement, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its first docking mission, which, if successful, will make make India only the fourth nation after the United States, Russia, and China, to successfully conduct a docking in space. Apart being India’s first space docking attempt, it is also the first space mission which was almost entirely conducted by an private Indian space company.
ISRO’s docking mission was conducted by Ananth Technologies Limited, a private aerospace company founded y former ISRO scientist Dr. Subba Rao Pavuluri in 1992. Pavuluri also serves as the company’s CEO and chairman.
Previously, Ananth Technologies had contributed to various ISRO space missions by supplying important component, however, this time around the entire assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of ISRO’s spacecraft was done by the company, marking the first instance of a private aerospace firm conducting AIT of a spacecraft entirely on its own in the history of India’s space program.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C60 (PSLV-C60) spacecraft was built by Ananth Technologies in its state of the art 10,000 square meter facility in Bengaluru, while the AIT of the PSLV was conducted by a joint team of engineers from ISRO and the aerospace company itself in Thiruvananthapuram.
ISRO on December 31 scripted history when the premier space agency conducted its 60th successful flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), launching the PSLV-C60 with SpaDeX and innovative payloads.
Talking about the SpaDeX mission, ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) director V Narayanan said, “We had a very successful SpaDeX mission accomplished by PSLV-C60 Rocket. This rocket is the 60th successful rocket launch of PSLV. Till today, we have accomplished 62 PSLV rocket missions, out of 62, 60 are successful. This means that 90 per cent is the success rate. The two spacecraft this rocket has placed are revolving in orbit and have been separated only to be assembled together (dock) in space. It may happen on January 7. After this, they will de-docked (disassemble).”
The LPSC director explained the workings of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) project and the usefulness of the mechanism, saying that it would be helpful in projects such as Chandrayaan-4 where two satellites weighing 4,600 kilograms each would be launched by two separate rockets, following the docking mechanism, ANI reported.
SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV. The primary objective of the SpaDeX mission is to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft (SDX01, which is the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target, nominally) in a Low-Earth circular orbit.
The technological challenge has been mastered only by a few countries and the indigenous technology used for this mission is called the “Bharatiya Docking System”.
Docking technology is key for long-term missions like “Chandrayaan-4” and the planned Indian space station. It is also crucial for India’s manned “Gaganyaan” mission. According to SpaDeX project director N Surendran, the Space Docking Experiment or SpaDeX, would prove fruitful for future space missions like the Bharatiya Antariksha Station and the Chandrayaan-4 mission since the docking mechanism was becoming necessary.
“It is one of the experiments that we are going to prove in orbit, which is going to be useful for future assignments or projects assigned to us like our Bharatiya Antariksha Station (Indian Space Station) and the Chandrayaan-4 mission. In the two complex and challenging projects, this docking mechanism is becoming an inevitable requirement,” Surendran told news agency ANI.
Surendran said that docking remains mandatory for human missions as well, on occasions when there is a need to attach to an international space station.
(With inputs from agencies)
