PSLV-C60/SPADEX Mission

PRELIMS – SPACE TECHNOLOGY 

Launch Details

• Launch Date and Time: December 30, 2024, at 9:58 PM IST.
• Launch Site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• Launch Vehicle: PSLV-C60.
• Orbit: 470 km circular orbit.

Mission Objectives

• Demonstrate in-space docking and undocking technology using two spacecraft:
  • SDX01 (Chaser)
  • SDX02 (Target)
• Test power transfer between docked spacecraft.
• Enable future advancements in in-space robotics.

Operation Plan

• Post-launch, the spacecraft will align and execute docking maneuvers in low-Earth orbit.
• Test power transfer systems during docking.
• Undock for separate tasks lasting up to two years.

Indigenous Technology Development

• Development of docking mechanisms, sensors, and power transfer systems indigenously in India.
• Design and Development: UR Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru.
• Integration and Testing: Ananth Technologies, Bengaluru.

Significance of the Mission

• Pioneering step toward India’s Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), a proposed space station for long-term human spaceflight missions.
• Supports future lunar exploration missions.

Key Terms:

1. PSLV-C60: Indian launch vehicle developed by ISRO for deploying spacecraft into low-Earth orbit.
2. SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment): Mission to test in-space docking technologies critical for cooperative spacecraft and future space stations.
3. Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS): India’s planned space station for advanced space science and exploration.
4. UR Rao Satellite Centre: ISRO’s premier satellite design and development facility in Bengaluru.