The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is experiencing technical issues with its first Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission, causing a delay in the undocking of the two spacecraft, SDX-01 and SDX-02. The satellites successfully docked on January 16, 2025, after an initial delay from the original plan of January 7.

There is power generation mismatch, power generation in the two spacecraft is not meeting the required levels.

Coordinated control of both spacecraft is taking longer than expected.

Anomalies in the rendezvous and docking sensors; power transfer technology; inter-satellite communication link; and/or Global Navigation Satellite System could be posing technical issues.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan indicated on January 29, 2025, that the agency is reviewing the undocking process. He mentioned that 60 to 70 percent of the propellant remains, suggesting sufficient fuel for multiple attempts. The undocking was initially planned for the end of January or the first week of February but is now expected to occur in March-April.

The SpaDeX mission aims to test technologies crucial for future space endeavors, including India's space station and interplanetary missions. The mission plan includes demonstrating electrical power transfer between the two spacecraft before their separation. After separation, SDX-01 and SDX-02 are slated to operate their payloads independently for up to two years.

SDX-01 Carries a High-Resolution Camera (HRC) for Earth imaging.

SDX-02 Carries a Miniature Multi-Spectral Payload (MMX) for natural resource monitoring and vegetation studies, and a Radiation Monitor payload to measure radiation in space.

The delay in undocking could affect payload experiments and compromise the utilization of their payloads for Earth imaging, natural resource monitoring, and radiation data collection. ISRO engineers are actively working to resolve the issues, as undocking is a critical step for future missions, including space station development, satellite servicing, and interplanetary exploration.

The SpaDeX experiment has positioned India as the fourth country, following the US, Russia, and China, to successfully demonstrate spacecraft docking capabilities.

Agencies