India delays satellite docking for 2nd time

ISTANBUL

India’s space agency delayed the docking of twin satellites under the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission for the second time, citing unexpected drift between the spacecraft.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) first postponed the docking on Jan. 6, saying more ground simulations were needed to assess the scenario after Monday’s aborted attempt.

On Wednesday, ISRO announced a second delay on X ahead of its planned live broadcast of the docking on Jan. 9.

The agency said SpacecraftA reduced the distance from 500 meters to 225 meters, but the satellites drifted “more than expected” after a period of non-visibility.

The SpaDeX mission, launched on Dec. 30, aims to develop India’s orbital docking capability, a critical technology for future space missions.

The two small spacecraft were launched aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C60) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in southern India.

ISRO said the mission's main goal is to “develop and demonstrate the technology needed for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft in a low-earth circular orbit.”