Here’s how Isro will attempt historic rendezvous & docking | India News

BENGALURU: Isro’s ambition Spatial docking experiment (SpaDeX), which is scheduled to make the docking maneuver On January 7, we will see the two satellites perform a carefully choreographed orbital dance before attempting to dock with each other.
And this is how:
The launch has given a small difference in speed between the satellites. At a speed of 10 m/s, this distance will increase further and the satellites will be separated by about 20 km, already on the afternoon of December 31.
Once the satellites reach this separation, Isro will start monitoring their relative positions. “We will start using the propulsion systems on board one of the two satellites to arrest the drift and maintain the 20 km distance between the two satellites,” M Sankaran. said UR Rao Satellite Center (URSC) director, explaining the intricate sequence of events that will unfold.
And like the twins, the satellites will rotate in the same orbit at the same speed. The mission schedule includes a four-day waiting period to achieve optimal solar orientation, crucial to generating sufficient power during the docking procedure.
“At this point we will again begin the drift of the two satellites. So the distance of 20 km is progressively reduced to 5km, 1.5km and so on. And after reaching 5 km, we will enable the inter-satellite radio frequency (RF) link so that the satellites communicate with each other and exchange their own position, attitude, etc., which will allow us to evaluate the software logic.” Sankaran said.
Several new sensors developed by the Laboratory of Electro-Optical Systems (LEOS) in Bengaluru will be evaluated for suitability to initiate the docking sequence, which will begin once the distance between satellites is reduced to 1.5 km, using three different guidance algorithms .

The docking mechanism involves a “hugging” action. “The final approach will be particularly delicate. With a constant speed of approximately 10 mm/s, the hunter satellite will go to and enter the target satellite. The latches will release and the clamps on both sides will try to grab each of the satellites,” Sankaran added.
…And once they are held together, the ring that has been extended on the hunter satellite will retract so that the target satellite will be attracted towards the hunter satellite and the two will become a single unit.
Once docked, the satellites will demonstrate power transfer capabilities, with electricity flowing from one satellite to the other to power a heater, confirming successful docking. The combined unit will then be controlled by the control system of a single satellite, demonstrating crucial technology for future space station operations, including those planned by India. Bharati Antriksh Station.
The SpaDeX mission represents a long journey from concept to reality. “This work, as a thought experiment, started around 1989 and at the time no one thought this was necessary for us, but the tenacity was there. When the project was approved in 2016, we were able to carry it out for several years,” Sankaran said.
The mission has required extensive preparation and testing. Isro developed several test benches to validate the mechanism as well as the docking sequence, sensors, etc. It has been a combined effort of many people at Isro centers and the industry,” Sankaran said.
The successful completion of this mission would mark a major milestone in India’s space capabilities, particularly in the development of technologies required for future space station operations and satellite servicing missions. The ability to dock spacecraft in orbit is a crucial capability that only a few space-capable nations possess, and India is now on the verge of joining this elite group.