The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has once again postponed the planned docking of its SpaDeX satellites, which was initially scheduled for January 9, 2025. This follows an earlier rescheduling from January 7 due to unexpected satellite drift during manoeuvres intended to bring the two satellites closer together. The drift was found to exceed expectations after a non-visibility period when the satellites could not be tracked by ground stations.

ISRO reported that while attempting to reduce the distance between the two satellites—SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target)—from 500 meters to 225 meters, they encountered issues that necessitated further ground simulations to ensure accuracy before proceeding with the docking. As of now, the two satellites remain safe and are approximately 600 meters apart.


The SpaDeX mission is significant as it aims to demonstrate India's capability in space docking technology, positioning India among the few countries with this capability, which is essential for future missions involving heavy payloads and complex operations like the Bharatiya Antariksha Station planned for 2028.

ISRO