In an exciting development for India’s space program, the Union Cabinet has approved the building of a third launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Shriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This new launch pad will help the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to increase its space missions.
Right now, SDSC has two launch pads, and this new one will allow more rockets to launch simultaneously, which is a big boost for India’s space exploration efforts. The total cost for this project hasn’t been shared yet.
On the same day, ISRO also achieved a major milestone by successfully docking two satellites in space during their Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX). With this success, India becomes the fourth country in the world to do this, joining the ranks of the US, Russia, and China.
The SpaDeX mission involved two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), each weighing 220 kg, which were launched into a 475-km orbit on December 30, 2024. After docking, ISRO demonstrated that they could control both satellites as one unit. Upcoming tests will focus on undocking and transferring power.
This achievement marks an important step for India as it prepares for future space missions, including Chandrayaan-4 and Gaganyaan.
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