Satellite docking advances India’s space technology goals

The Associated Press
India docked two satellites in space in mid-January 2025 to become the fourth nation in the world to achieve the mission, marking a milestone in New Delhi’s ambitious space technology expansion.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) maneuvered the satellites, each weighing 220 kilograms, during a precision space docking experiment, known as SpaDeX, the agency said. It called the operation a historic moment.
The satellites, Chaser and Target, were launched on a single rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in December 2024.
“India docked its name in space history!” the ISRO posted on social media. “Post docking, control of two satellites as a single object is successful.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it “a significant stepping stone for India’s ambitious space missions in the years to come.”
The mission, previously achieved by the United States, the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, showcased India’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse.
Enhanced space capabilities also support deterrence because satellites and other space-based intelligence can bolster awareness and military effectiveness.
In 2023, Modi said the ISRO would establish a domestically manufactured space station by 2035 and land an Indian astronaut on the moon by 2040.
Active in space research since the 1960s, India has launched satellites for itself and other countries, including placing one in orbit around Mars in 2014.
India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole in 2023 in a historic voyage to uncharted territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water.