On Thursday, India achieved a major milestone by successfully completing its first-ever unmanned docking in space. This made India the fourth country in the world, after the US, Russia, and China, to accomplish this feat.

The mission, called the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDex), involved two small spacecraft named Target and Chaser, each weighing about 220 kilograms. They were launched on December 30 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Andhra Pradesh using an Indian PSLV rocket.

On January 15, after a series of maneuvers in low Earth orbit, the two spacecraft successfully docked. Before this, a trial attempt was carried out where the spacecraft were brought close together (within 3 meters) and then moved back to a safe distance. Despite delays on January 7 and 9 due to technical issues, the mission was a success.

Why Is This Important?
Docking technology is essential for future space missions, such as:

• Servicing and refueling satellites.
• Missions requiring multiple rocket launches.
• Transferring materials like payloads, lunar samples, or even astronauts in space.

Minister for Space Jitendra Singh called this achievement a "new era in space exploration," highlighting its importance for India’s future ambitions, including:

• Sending an Indian astronaut to the moon by the year 2040. 
•  Establishing a completely indigenous space station, the "Bharatiya Antariksha Station," by 2035.   
• Returning lunar samples by 2027 as part of the Chandrayaan program.
• Launching India’s first mission to Venus in 2028.

This mission also tested the transfer of electric power between docked spacecraft, a key capability for operating robots, managing payloads, and controlling spacecraft in space.

India’s Growing Space Achievements
India has been making significant progress in space exploration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2023, India became the fourth country to land on the moon with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which landed near the unexplored South Pole.

India has also focused on commercializing its space sector, encouraging private companies to participate. For SpaDex, the rocket and spacecraft were tested and integrated by Ananth Technologies, marking a first for private involvement in such a mission.

With these achievements, India is strengthening its position as a key player in global space exploration.