India’s space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, is preparing to undertake two advanced orbital docking experiments as part of its long-term roadmap to build and operate the Bharatiya Antariksha Station.
The upcoming missions, SPADEX-2 and SPADEX-3, will expand on earlier docking demonstrations and test capabilities critical for future human spaceflight and lunar missions.
According to information shared in Parliament by Jitendra Singh, the two missions are currently under study and will simulate docking under different orbital conditions.
WHAT IS SPADEX MISSION?
The SPADEX programme is central to mastering rendezvous and docking technologies, which enable spacecraft to meet, align, and connect in space.
These capabilities are essential for a wide range of operations, including crew transfer, refuelling, and power exchange. Successful validation of these technologies will support future missions such as the docking of the Gaganyaan crew module with space stations, as well as routine human spaceflight operations.
WHAT ARE SPADEX-2 AND SPADEX-3 MISSIONS?
SPADEX-2 will focus on docking and undocking two spacecraft in a highly elliptical orbit, a complex environment required for future missions such as Chandrayaan-4.
The mission will also attempt sample transfer between two modules, a key capability for returning material from the Moon.
SPADEX-3, on the other hand, will demonstrate docking in a circular orbit, similar to low Earth orbit conditions. This mission is designed as a precursor to docking operations for the Bharatiya Antariksha Station.
It will involve docking between two pressurised modules using the indigenous Bharatiya Docking System (BDS), a technology crucial for crewed missions and long-duration stays in orbit.
Isro has already demonstrated basic docking capabilities through its earlier SPADEX mission. The new experiments represent a significant step forward, targeting mission-specific and operational readiness in more challenging environments.
The government also highlighted opportunities for academic institutions and national laboratories to contribute to these missions. Areas such as payload development, algorithm design, and experimental technologies are open for collaboration.
Indian institutes have previously played key roles in missions like Aditya-L1, and greater participation is being encouraged to strengthen the country’s space ecosystem.
As India accelerates its ambitions in human spaceflight and deep-space exploration, the SPADEX-2 and SPADEX-3 missions are expected to lay the technological foundation for a sustained presence in orbit and beyond.
