• Source:JND
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SpaDeX Update: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has postponed the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) by two minutes. Earlier, the PSLV-C60 that would launch the SpaDeX mission or the Space Docking Experiment was to be launched at 9.58 pm, but now it has been pushed to 10 pm. Two small spacecraft will be launched together aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Monday as ISRO completes preparations to launch India's SpaDeX mission. If this becomes successful, India will become the fourth country in the world, after the USA, Russia and China, to complete the space docking experiment.

If successful, this mission will pave the way for India's future missions, including Chandrayaan-4, its own space station and the dream of sending people to the Moon. "This mission will place India among the nations that have mastered space docking technology. This technology is crucial for India's ambitious missions, such as bringing samples from the Moon and building the Indian Space Station (BAS)," Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, stated, as per Jagran.com.

SpaDeX Mission Delayed: Here’s Why?

The launch has been postponed due to "conjunctions with other satellites in the same orbit", Dr S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, told NDTV.

This is not the first time ISRO has had to reschedule its launch due to congestion in the orbit and flight path of the rocket.

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Experts at ISRO found that some satellites from the Starlink constellation were coming in the way. Today, there are about 7,000 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit. This is a constellation owned by American billionaire Elon Musk and his company SpaceX. Starlink provides satellite-based broadband internet connectivity across the world. Ultimately, the total number of Starlink satellites is expected to go up to about 12,000.

For long, scientists and engineers from many space agencies have been complaining that these massive constellations will cause traffic jams in space. On top of that, there is the presence of space debris in copious amounts that also poses a huge risk to satellites.

In 2023, India had to postpone the launch of its Chandrayaan-3 mission by a few minutes almost for the same reasons.

SpaDeX Mission Details

ISRO has stated that the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will deploy two small spacecraft, 'Chaser' and 'Target,' into a circular orbit at 476 km. The space docking experiment (SPADEx) will be conducted in the first week of January.

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The primary goal of the mission is to demonstrate the technology required for docking and undocking between the two spacecraft. The spacecraft's control and payload operation will also be showcased. Docking refers to the joining of two spacecraft in space while undocking refers to their separation.

After demonstrating docking and undocking experiments, the two spacecraft will continue orbiting Earth for two years. The SDX 01 or Chaser is equipped with a high-resolution camera, while the SDX 02 or Target carries two payloads. These payloads will help capture high-resolution images and assist in monitoring natural resources.