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NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said that the SpaDeX mission is named as “Bharatiya Docking Technology” because it is purely an indigenous mission and India is carrying out first such experiment related to docking technology.
The Union MoS further stated that SpaDeX’s mission very much aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
Addressing a press conference, Singh said, “The launch of the SpaDeX mission is one of the first experiments undertaken by India as far as the docking technology is concerned. It is a purely indigenous technology and that’s why it’s been appropriately named Bharatiya Docking Technology. That is very much in keeping with PM Modi’s mantra for Aatmanirbhar Bharat…”
As the year 2024 is marking its end, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the year 2024 has been a remarkable journey for the Indian Space sector.
Citing the example of India’s first Solar Mission, Singh stated that the ADITYA mission, being a very ambitious mission for the Indian Space sector, entered into L1 point in January 2024, just three months after its launch. Additionally, India observed its first-ever National Space Day within the first three months of the Modi government’s third term.
“The year 2024 began by making news about space. It was the ADITYA, the first solar mission by India, a very ambitious mission which had entered into L1 point. It was launched 3 months earlier, but it got to the destination in the month of January. The first-ever National Space Day was observed in the first 3 months after the Modi government 3.0 took over…. we are now also assisting other agencies to accomplish their missions,” Singh stated.
The Union MoS further mentioned that several trials of Mission Gaganyaan have already been conducted in 2024 with the final dress rehearsal featuring a female robot set to take place next year. Mission Gaganyaan is ISRO’s ambitious project which will be India’s first human-manned space flight carrying Indian astronauts into space.
Highlighting the surging public interest in space programs, Singh stated that enthusiasm has not been limited to space exploration alone but has sparked curiosity and awareness in various scientific fields, including biotechnology, basic sciences, cutting-edge technologies and the CSI activities.
In the press conference, Singh said, “In between so many trials have happened for the Gaganyan which is in the pipeline, the first indigenous mission of course. Of course the first Indian to go up was Rakesh Sharma which happened in the early 1980s, but that was the Soviet mission. The trials are almost now through; we’re waiting for the dress rehearsal with a female robot which will happen sometime next year. And the huge-huge-huge amount of public interest which has been generated by these space achievements has actually created awareness as well as enthusiasm among the common citizens of India in various scientific pursuits across the lines, not only confined to space whether it’s biotechnology or, the basic sciences, cutting edge technologies or it is the CSI activities. Space has actually opened up possibly that inertia which prevented the space activities to come so openly in the public…”
On Monday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a historic feat by launching PSLV-C60 with SpaDeX and innovative payloads.
SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV. The primary objective of the SpaDeX mission is to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft (SDX01, which is the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target, nominally) in a Low-Earth circular orbit.
