'Successful Undocking!': ISRO’s SpaDex triumph fuels momentum for Chandrayaan-4 and Gaganyaan

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully undocked its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), marking a significant milestone for India's space ambitions. This achievement sets the stage for critical future missions, including Chandrayaan-4, the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, and the Bharatiya Antriksh Station.  

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), ISRO detailed the sequence of events leading to the successful undocking. The process included an SDX-2 extension, the planned release of capture lever 3, disengagement of the capture lever in SDX-2, and the issuance of the de-capture command for both satellites.  

Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh hailed the achievement as an “unbelievable de-docking.”  

“SpaDeX satellites accomplished the unbelievable de-docking. This paves the way for smooth conduct of ambitious future missions, including the Bharatiya Antriksha Station, Chandrayaan 4 & Gaganyaan,” Singh wrote on X. “Congrats team ISRO. And heartening for every Indian,” he added.  

The SpaDeX mission was launched on December 30 last year from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. ISRO placed two satellites, SDX01 and SDX02, into orbit to test docking capabilities in space. The satellites, each weighing 220 kg, successfully docked on January 16, demonstrating India’s growing expertise in orbital maneuvers.  

With this achievement, India joins an elite group of nations — alongside the United States, Russia, and China — that have successfully executed such complex docking and undocking operations in space.