India Takes a Major Step Towards Space Station and Lunar Missions

India Takes a Major Step Towards Space Station and Lunar Missions

Key Points

  • India launched SpaDeX to test docking technology critical for lunar and space station ambitions.
  • The mission used a PSLV-C60 rocket and included two satellites weighing 220 kilograms each.
  • India aims to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2040. Mastering docking will make India the fourth country to achieve this capability.
  • India’s space program achieves milestones at significantly lower costs than global powers.

India successfully launched a rocket on Monday carrying two small spacecraft designed to test space docking technology. This technology is critical for India’s aspirations of establishing a space station and achieving a manned Moon mission. The launch marks a significant milestone in India’s growing space program.

According to Jitendra Singh, India’s science and technology minister, the mission SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) is considered “vital for India’s future space ambitions. ” The launch used the PSLV-C60 rocket, which took off from the Sriharikota launch site, carrying two 220-kilogram (485-pound) satellites. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) broadcast the event live, announcing shortly after the launch that it had successfully deployed SpaDeX and 24 additional payloads.

SpaDeX aims to develop and demonstrate the technology required for rendezvous, docking, and undocking spacecraft, a capability essential for future human spaceflight, lunar exploration, and satellite servicing missions. The experiment will involve satellites orbiting Earth at 28,800 kilometers per hour (17,895 miles per hour), reducing their relative velocities to a mere 0.036 kph to dock and form a single unit in space. This precision docking technology is a key milestone in advancing India’s lunar and human space exploration goals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has outlined plans for India to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2040, an ambition supported by a rapidly expanding aerospace program. ISRO highlighted that achieving docking capabilities would make India only the fourth nation, after Russia, the United States, and China, to master this critical technology.

India’s space program has made notable strides in recent years, achieving major milestones at a fraction of the cost compared to other spacefaring nations. In August 2023, India became the fourth country to land an unmanned craft on the Moon, joining an elite club alongside Russia, the United States, and China.

EDITORIAL TEAM
EDITORIAL TEAM
TechGolly editorial team led by Al Mahmud Al Mamun. He worked as an Editor-in-Chief at a world-leading professional research Magazine. Rasel Hossain and Enamul Kabir are supporting as Managing Editor. Our team is intercorporate with technologists, researchers, and technology writers. We have substantial knowledge and background in Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Embedded Technology.

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