India successfully completed its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), becoming the fourth nation to achieve this technological feat. The experiment, involving two satellites docking and undocking, positions India as a key player in the rapidly growing global space market. This milestone underscores India's ambition to expand its share in the commercial and exploratory frontiers of space.
BENGALURU, India — India on Thursday became the fourth nation in the world to achieve space docking, a technological milestone that underscores its ambitions to expand its share in the rapidly growing $400 billion global space market. At around 9 a.m. IST , the Indian Space Research Organisation carried out the highly anticipated Space Docking Experiment , a spokesperson for the agency said. Two
satellites, Target and Chaser — each roughly the size of a large refrigerator — successfully latched onto each other and unlatched after a series of complex orbital maneuvers. The indigenous technology, crucial for satellite servicing, space station operations, and interplanetary missions, positions India to play a significant role in the commercial and exploratory frontiers of space. “India has ambitious missions planned and to achieve those this is an important technology we have to have.
had sent to space onboard the rocket to study plant growth in microgravity conditions, which germinated within four days of the launch of the mission. The mission will also demonstrate the transfer of electric power between docked spacecraft, a capability vital for applications like in-space robotics, composite spacecraft control and payload operations post-undocking. Such technologies are essential for missions requiring multiple rocket launches to achieve shared objectives.
is focused on deep-space exploration and enabling private companies to commercialize the sector, with projects that include solar studies, orbital astronaut missions and planetary defense, in collaboration with NASA. The stakes are significant. While the global commercial space market is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, India’s current share is just 2%, or $8 billion. The government aims to grow this to $44 billion by 2040.
SPACE EXPLORATION COMMERCIAL SPACE SPACE DOCKING ISRO INDIA
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