Isro successfully undocks satellites

NEARLY TWO MONTHS after the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully demonstrated its docking capability, it disengaged and undocked the two satellites, SDX01 and SDX02, at 9.20 am on Thursday.

- ANONNA DUTT

This capability is essential for future Isro missions such as exploring the Moon, human spaceflight, and building its own space station.

The two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), are now moving around independently in orbit.

For the undocking process, the SDX02 arm connecting the two satellites was extended, the capture levers released, and then the two satellites were given the command to separate.

With this manoeuvre, Isro successfully demonstrated critical capabilities like rendezvous, docking and undocking, making India the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to possess such capability.