The undocking of the two spacecraft, SDX-01 and SDX-02, has been delayed due to technical difficulties with the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) first Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission. Following an initial postponement from the original January 7 plan, the satellites successfully docked on January 16, 2025.
There is a power generation mismatch; the two spacecraft’s power generation falls short of what is needed.
It’s taking longer than anticipated to coordinate control of both spacecraft.
Technical problems may be caused by anomalies in the Global Navigation Satellite System, power transfer technology, intersatellite communication link, and/or rendezvous and docking sensors.
On January 29, 2025, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan stated that the organization is examining the undocking procedure. He stated that between 60 and 70 percent of the propellant is still present, indicating enough fuel for several tries. Originally scheduled for the end of January or the first week of February, the undocking is now anticipated to take place in March or April.
The goal of the SpaDeX mission is to test technologies that are essential for upcoming space projects, such as interplanetary missions and India’s space station. Demonstrating electrical power transfer between the two spacecraft prior to their separation is part of the mission plan. Following their split, SDX-01 and SDX-02 are expected to run theirpayloads on their own for a maximum of two years.
For imaging the Earth, the SDX-01 is equipped with a High-Resolution Camera (HRC).
The SDX-02 carries a Radiation Monitor payload to measure radiation in space and a Miniature Multi-Spectral Payload (MMX) for vegetation studies and natural resource monitoring.
Payload experiments and the use of their payloads for radiation data collection, Earth imaging, and natural resource monitoring may be impacted by the undocking delay. Since undocking is a crucial step for upcoming missions, such as space station development, satellite maintenance, and interplanetary exploration, ISRO engineers are actively working to find solutions.
India is now the fourth nation after the US, Russia, and China to successfully demonstrate spacecraft docking capabilities thanks to the SpaDeX experiment.
