India becomes 4th Country to achieve space docking: Who are the other three?

In a momentous achievement, India has become the fourth country to successfully carry out space docking. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) completed this remarkable feat during the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) on Thursday morning.

ISRO’s Historic Milestone

At approximately 10 am, ISRO confirmed the successful docking. The spacecraft moved from a 15-meter to a 3-meter hold point. The docking was initiated with precise accuracy and was followed by smooth retraction and rigidisation. India now joins a select group of nations with this advanced space technology.

The Bhartiya Docking System enabled the Indian satellites to move at 10 millimeters per second and dock in space. The satellites orbited Earth at a distance of 475 kilometers. This achievement is crucial for future missions, such as Chandrayaan-4 and India's proposed space station.

Joining an Elite Group

India now stands alongside three other countries in the space docking arena:

Russia: The pioneer in space docking, Russia achieved its first successful docking in 1969 between the Soyuz and Salyut spacecraft. Russia’s advancements continue to push space technology boundaries.
United States: The U.S. reached space docking in 1966 when two Gemini spacecraft docked. The U.S. has since developed its capabilities through missions like Apollo-Soyuz and the Space Shuttle program.
China: China entered the space docking club in 2011 with the Tiangong-1 space station docking with the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft. China has since made significant strides in this technology.

Future of Space Docking

India’s success in space docking has put the nation on the map for advanced space exploration. The SpaDeX mission, launched on December 30, 2024, paves the way for India’s growing capabilities in space exploration. ISRO’s achievement is seen as a vital step toward building an indigenous space station in the future.