BENGALURU: Several weeks after it first achieved docking of two satellites in space as part of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDex) mission, Isro Wednesday said it has successfully undocked the two satellites. This potentially paves way for more docking attempts using the same satellites as Isro had said it would do after the initial docking.
The space agency said that the sequence for undocking was extension of the second satellite, release of the lever, disengagement of the lever and issuance of the “decapture” command between the two satellites.
“Finally, successful undocking,” Isro said, without giving out details about when the said undocking of the satellites was carried out or sharing any of the satellite parametres. Isro has also not shared details about critical processes including power transfer post docking on Jan 16.
Isro chairman V Narayanan had told TOI on Feb 17 that both satellites were healthy. “The satellites, which were previously controlled independently, now function as a single unit. The next phase involves establishing power transfer between the modules, a crucial step for future missions including Chandrayaan-4, where multiple docking operations will be required,” he had said.
While Isro has completed the first crucial docking manoeuvre, SpaDeX will continue for an extended period. “…This is not a one-time operation. We’ll conduct multiple docking attempts to demonstrate our capability to perform the procedure reliably and repeatedly beginning mid-March,” Narayanan had said.
Now that the undocking is complete, more docking attempts are expected to evaluate: How precisely Isro can execute multiple docking maneuvers, how well the algorithms perform under various conditions, how the integrated inertial systems function and how the propulsion system performs during repeated operations.
As first reported by TOI in January, for the next phase of docking trials, Isro plans to separate the satellites by shorter distances, potentially not exceeding 100 metres, unlike the initial approach.