ISRO launches PSLV-C60 for Space Docking Experiment

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Space Docking Experiment (SpaDex) onboard a PSLV rocket was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The 44.5-metre tall PSLV-C60 rocket placed the two spacecraft — Spacecraft A (SDX01) and Spacecraft B (SDX02), each weighing 220 kg — in the right orbit of 475 km circular orbit.

Spacecraft A (SDX01) or the ‘Chaser’ and Spacecraft B (SDX02) or the ‘Target’ would be merged together later at an altitude of about 470 km after travelling at the same speed and distance.

SpaDeX will serve as a milestone in advancing India’s capabilities in space docking, a critical technology for future space missions.