ISRO undocks Spadex satellites, advancing lunar exploration

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday announced the successful completion of its SpaDeX mission's space de-docking, marking a significant milestone in India's future in space exploration.

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Union Minister Jitendra Singh extended his congratulations to the ISRO team after the "SPADEX satellites accomplished the unbelievable de-docking" and said that the event was "heartening for every Indian!"

"This paves the way for smooth conduct of ambitious future missions including the Bharatiya Antriksha Station, Chandrayaan 4 and Gaganyaan," Singh said in a post on X.

Further he said that "PM Narendra Modi's continuous patronage keeps the spirits soaring."

The undocking process involved a precise sequence of events, culminating in the separation of the SDX-01 (Chaser) and SDX-02 (Target) satellites that was launched on December 30 in 2024, using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C60, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

It included the successful extension of SDX-2, the planned release of Capture Lever 3, and the disengagement of the Capture Lever in SDX-2. After these maneuvers, the decapture command was issued in both SDX-1 and SDX-2, leading to the successful separation of the satellites.