ISRO's Space Docking Experiment aboard a PSLV rocket has been rescheduled for lift-off at 10 pm on Monday, two minutes later than the originally planned time of 9:58 pm, as announced by the space agency. While no immediate reason for this change has been provided, ISRO emphasized the significance of this mission, marking a key milestone in India’s space program.
"Launch Day is here. Tonight at precisely 10 pm, PSLV-C60 with SpaDeX and innovative payloads are set for liftoff," ISRO stated in their Monday update. The Space Docking Experiment aims to demonstrate India’s capability in orbital docking, a vital technology for future human spaceflight and satellite servicing missions.
The 25-hour countdown, which began on Sunday evening at 9 pm, is ongoing, according to an ISRO official. This mission stands as a cost-effective technology demonstrator for in-space docking, placing India among an elite group that includes China, Russia, and the US.
Liftoff will take place from the first launch pad at the spaceport, carrying SpaDeX along with two primary spacecraft payloads and 24 secondary payloads. Mastering docking technology is essential for advancing India’s space ambitions, including plans to send humans to the Moon, retrieve lunar samples, and develop the country's own space station, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station.
During the mission, Spacecraft A (SDX01) and Spacecraft B (SDX02) will be placed in an orbit keeping them five kilometers apart. Scientists at ISRO headquarters will later endeavor to bring them within three meters of each other, eventually leading to their merging at an altitude of approximately 470 km above Earth. This docking process is anticipated to occur roughly 10 to 14 days after the scheduled launch on Monday, according to ISRO officials.
In the SpaDeX mission, Spacecraft A will carry a High-Resolution Camera, while Spacecraft B will host a Miniature Multispectral Payload and a Radiation Monitor Payload. These instruments will deliver high-resolution images for natural resource monitoring and vegetation studies, among other applications.
Additionally, scientists will conduct the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-4 (POEM-4), which will place 24 payloads—14 from ISRO and 10 from academia and industry—into their designated orbits sequentially over a 90-minute window following the lift-off. The payloads in the fourth stage are expected to have a lifespan of three to four months.
For this PSLV-C60 mission, the vehicle being utilized is the 18th Core-Alone variant. This marks ISRO's final mission in 2024, and the PSLV-C60 is the first vehicle to be integrated up to the fourth stage at the newly established PSLV Integration Facility.
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Inputs from PTI
