ISRO to log off 2024 with house docking experiment mission on December 30

ISRO’s SpaDeX mission, launching with PSLV-C60, will show in-space docking utilizing two small spacecraft.
| Picture Credit score: ANI

The Indian House Analysis Organisation (ISRO) will launch its closing mission for 2024 on December 30 with the PSLV C60/SPADEX Mission. The launch is scheduled at 9.58 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan House Centre in Sriharikota.

The house company, for the primary time, will likely be making an attempt the House Docking Experiment (SPADEX) mission which can show in-space docking utilizing two small spacecraft.

Based on ISRO, SPADEX is designed to develop and show the expertise wanted for spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking utilizing two small satellites. “SPADEX will function a milestone in advancing India’s capabilities in house docking, a crucial expertise for future house missions, together with satellite tv for pc servicing, house station operations, and interplanetary missions,” the house company mentioned.

The demonstration of this expertise is crucial for futuristic missions resembling sending an Indian astronaut on the Moon, pattern return from the Moon, the constructing and operation of the Indian House Station.

The PSLV-C60 will launch the 2 small spacecraft Chaser and Goal additionally named SDX01 and SDX02 weighing about 220 kg every right into a 470 km round orbit at 55-degree inclination individually.

SDX02 spacecraft would be the first to separate quarter-hour after the launch adopted by SDX01 spacecraft just a few seconds later.

Incremental velocity

“The demonstrated precision of the PSLV automobile will likely be utilised to provide a small relative velocity between the Goal and Chaser spacecraft on the time of separation from the launch automobile. This incremental velocity will enable the Goal spacecraft to construct a 10-20 km inter-satellite separation with respect to the Chaser inside a day. At this level, the relative velocity between the Goal will likely be compensated utilizing the propulsion system of the Goal spacecraft,” ISRO mentioned.

ISRO added that on the finish of this drift arrest maneuver, the Goal and Chaser will likely be in the identical orbit with an identical velocity however separated by about 20 km, often known as Far Rendezvous.

“With the same technique of introducing after which compensating for a small relative velocity between the 2 spacecraft, the Chaser will strategy the Goal with progressively lowered inter-satellite distances of 5 km, 1.5 km, 500 m, 225 m, 15 m, and three m, in the end resulting in the docking of the 2 spacecraft,” it added.

The docking is predicted to happen within the first week of January 2025.

Twenty-four PS4-Orbital Experiment Module (POEM-4) payloads will likely be flown onboard the PSLV-C60 SPADEX mission.