ISRO postpones SpaDeX docking experiment to Jan 9

Bengaluru: ISRO on Monday announced that the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), initially scheduled for January 7, has been postponed to January 9. The Bengaluru-based space agency shared the update on X, stating, “The SpaDeX Docking scheduled on (January) 7th is now postponed to 9th. The docking process requires further validation through ground simulations based on an abort scenario identified today.”

Once completed, India will become the fourth country in the world to achieve space docking technology.

The SpaDeX mission, launched on December 30, is a significant milestone in India’s space journey. The PSLV C60 rocket carried two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), along with 24 payloads, into a 475-km circular orbit. The two spacecraft, each weighing approximately 220 kg, were deployed about 15 minutes after liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Meanwhile, ISRO also said that Cowpea seedlings onboard PSLV-C60 POEM-4 module sprout their first leaves in space, signifying a milestone in space-based plant research.

According to India’s national space agency, the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS), developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is an automated platform designed to cultivate and sustain plant life in the microgravity environment of space. One of its recent experiments involved growing cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) seeds within a controlled, closed environment equipped with active thermal management, said ISRO.

The system monitored various parameters, including oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, relative humidity, temperature, and soil moisture, while capturing images to track plant growth, added ISRO.