The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has brought the historic Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) mission to a successful close, with both SPADEX satellites re-entering Earth’s atmosphere on 12 October 2026 after completing all planned mission objectives.

Launched aboard the PSLV-C60 mission on 30 December 2024 into a 470 km circular orbit with an inclination of 55 degrees, SPADEX marked a major technological achievement for India. The mission was designed to demonstrate critical autonomous rendezvous and low-impact docking capabilities using the twin spacecraft, SPADEX-A and SPADEX-B.

During their operational life, the two satellites successfully accomplished every primary mission objective. These included vertical and radial docking, composite control operations, power transfer between spacecraft, undocking procedures, and payload operations. The mission also demonstrated successful circumnavigation manoeuvres, further validating advanced orbital operations.

SPADEX represented a significant step forward for India's future space ambitions. The technologies demonstrated during the mission are considered essential for more complex endeavours, including in-orbit servicing, future space station development, human spaceflight activities, and multi-module spacecraft missions.

Following the completion of operational activities, propellant reserves aboard both spacecraft were exhausted. As a result, their orbital altitudes gradually decreased due to atmospheric drag, ultimately leading to their natural re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The orbital decay process was accelerated by two moderate geomagnetic storms that occurred on 4 October and 11 October 2026.

Throughout the mission’s final phase, careful mission planning and operations ensured that both spacecraft remained healthy and functional until the last telemetry signals were received, highlighting the effectiveness of mission management and spacecraft operations teams.

SPADEX-A made its final descent over the South Pacific Ocean at approximately 16:48 UTC on 12 October 2026. Several hours later, SPADEX-B completed its re-entry, with its final impact occurring over the North Atlantic Ocean at approximately 23:36 UTC on the same day.

With the successful completion of its objectives and a controlled end-of-mission phase, SPADEX stands as one of ISRO’s most important technology demonstration missions, having validated the key docking and rendezvous capabilities required for the next generation of India's space exploration programmes.

ISRO