ISRO Successfully Launches SpaDex With PSLV-C60

In a historic achievement, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C60 rocket from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on Monday. The mission, which carried the SpaDeX payload, marks a significant milestone in India’s space exploration efforts. The SpaDeX mission is designed to demonstrate the rare and complex feat of in-space docking, a technology that has been mastered by only a few nations.

The PSLV-C60 launch is part of ISRO's year-end mission, which aims to showcase the technology for docking, merging, and joining two satellites in space. The mission’s primary goal is to develop and test the in-space docking capabilities of two small spacecraft—SDX01, the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target. This mission is being carried out in a low-Earth circular orbit, and the "Bharatiya Docking System" developed for this experiment is a key innovation.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh emphasized the importance of the SpaDeX mission, stating, "The success of this mission is vital for India's future space ambitions." Docking technology is crucial for long-term space missions, including India’s upcoming "Chandrayaan-4" and the planned Indian space station. It is also an essential component of the manned "Gaganyaan" mission.

The first stage of the PSLV-C60 launch performed as expected, marking a successful start to the ambitious SpaDeX mission.

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