ISRO PSLV-C60 rocket launches on Dec. 30, carrying two SpaDeX satellites SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.Supplied/AFP/Getty Images
India’s space agency ISRO postponed a highly anticipated space docking mission for the second time late Wednesday.
The agency cited an issue arising from excess drift between the satellites, without disclosing a new date for the docking. The technology was originally set to be tested on Jan. 7 local time.
“While making a manoeuvre to reach 225 m between satellites the drift was found to be more than expected, post non-visibility period”, ISRO said on social media platform X.
The mission, called Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), would make India the fourth country in the world to achieve a feat essential for expanding future deep space exploratory missions.
Launched on Dec. 30 from India’s main spaceport, the mission used an Indian-made rocket to deploy satellites into orbit.
The SpaDeX mission will also demonstrate the transfer of electric power between docked spacecraft – a capability vital for applications such as in-space robotics, composite spacecraft control, and payload operations post-undocking.