India became the fourth country to complete an unmanned docking in space on Thursday, joining the other three countries- the US, Russia, and China.This achievement is a significant milestone for future space missions, and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has called it a "historic moment" for India’s space exploration efforts.
On Thursday, the two spacecraft successfully docked in low Earth orbit after conducting a rendezvous. Minister for Space Jitendra Singh said the SpaDex mission marks a new era in space exploration, showing India’s technological strength and ambition.
In-docking technology is important for future space missions, like servicing satellites and carrying out missions that require multiple rocket launches.For India, having its docking technology is key to reaching goals like sending an Indian astronaut to the moon, building a home-grown space station, and returning lunar samples, according to ISRO.
This technology will allow India to transfer materials between spacecraft, such as payloads, lunar samples, and eventually humans in space, said Minister Jitendra Singh on December 31.The mission also tested transferring electric power between the docked spacecraft, which is important for tasks like operating robots, controlling spacecraft, and managing payloads in space.
Before the successful docking, India tried a "trial attempt" on Sunday, bringing the two satellites closer in orbit until they were just 3 meters apart, then moving them back to a safe distance.The docking was delayed twice, on January 7 and 9, due to technical problems and the spacecraft drifting more than expected during the manoeuvre.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was re-elected for a third term last June and has focused on strengthening India’s global position, the country's space ambitions have grown significantly.
In 2023, India made history by becoming the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the moon with the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The mission successfully made a soft landing near the moon’s South Pole, a region that had not been explored before. The samples collected are helping scientists learn more about the moon’s formation and evolution.
India has already set ambitious space goals, including launching its first crewed mission to space in the coming years and sending an astronaut to the moon by 2040, a milestone only achieved by the US.
The country also plans to establish its space station, called the “Bharatiya Antariksha Station,” by 2035, and to send its first mission to Venus in 2028. In addition, India aims to return lunar samples as part of its Chandrayaan program by 2027.
Recently, India has worked to commercialize its space sector, attracting private companies and simplifying foreign investment rules. This has led to a focus on building and launching small, cost-effective satellites into low-Earth orbit. For the docking experiment on Sunday, the rocket and spacecraft were tested and integrated by Ananth Technologies, a private company, marking a first for India.