[ad_1]
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Monday informed about the postponement of its important docking experiment in space. ISRO’s SpaDeX satellites were scheduled to complete the docking process on January 7. It has now been postponed till January 9.
“The Spadex docking scheduled for (January) 7th has now been postponed to the 9th,” ISRO said in a post on Twitter on Monday. The docking process requires further validation through ground simulations based on the abort scenario identified today.
“Docking” is when a spacecraft can maneuver and attach itself to a space station. Meanwhile, ISRO points out that in-space docking technology is useful when multiple rockets are launched into space to achieve common mission objectives.
If the Spadex mission is completed, India will become the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology.
‘Cowpea seeds grow in space’: a timelapse video
Before the docking experiment, ISRO achieved a significant breakthrough in space research with the successful germination of cowpea seeds in space.
The seeds, part of the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) experiment, germinated within just four days of being sent into space on the PSLV-C60 mission.
ISRO on Tuesday shared a timelapse video of “leaves emerging for the first time in space”. It was posted, “VSSC’s CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies) experiment on PSLV-C60 shows fascinating growth of cowpea in microgravity.”
According to ISRO, the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS), developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC), is an automated platform designed to grow and sustain plant life in the microgravity environment of space. .
ISRO said, one of its recent experiments involves growing cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) seeds in a controlled, closed environment equipped with active thermal management. The space agency sent eight cowpea seeds as an experiment.
‘India’s first robotic arm will work in space’
ISRO successfully operated its first robotic arm in space, marking a significant milestone in the country’s space exploration efforts. ISRO said on the occasion, “…a proud #MakeInIndia milestone in space robotics.”
The agency also demonstrated “capture of space-bound debris using parallel end-effectors for visual servoing, motion prediction, and precision manipulation.”
Another video shared by ISRO shows Spadex’s Chaser satellite capturing the first video of Earth from space.
About Spadex Mission
ISRO successfully launched the ambitious Space Docking Experiment (Spadex) mission on December 30.
The PSLV C60 rocket carrying two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) with 24 payloads, took off from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, and about 15 minutes after liftoff, the two small satellites Was launched. The spacecraft, weighing about 220 kilograms, was launched into a circular orbit of 475 kilometers as intended.
According to ISRO, the Spadex mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission to demonstrate in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV.
This technology is essential for India’s space ambitions such as Indians on the Moon, sample return from the Moon, construction and operation of the Indian Space Station (BAS), etc. Docking technology in space is necessary when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve a common goal. Mission objectives.
[ad_2]
