India Becomes Fourth Nation in World to Achieve Space Docking

On January 16, India becomes the fourth nation in the world to achieve space docking. This technological milestone is expected to expand avenues for the dollar 400 billion global space market.

The two satellites launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, are Target and Chaser. The two satellites successfully lodged onto each other in the morning on Thursday, both being roughly the size of a large refrigerator. They have been developed using Indigenous technology and so position India as a key player in commercial and exploratory space. Having an Indigenous satellite is also crucial for servicing, space station operations and interplanetary missions with global partners. 

ISRO’s SpaDeX 

The satellites were part of the Space Docking Experiment, SpaDeX. SpaDeX was launched on December 30th. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also taking space exploration and commercialisation seriously. “It is a significant stepping stone for India’s ambitious space mission in the years to come,” said Modi.