ISRO Successfully Launches SpaDeX Mission: India Takes Giant Leap Towards Space Docking Technology

Sriharikota, 26 November 2025: At exactly 9:58 AM IST, the PSLV-C61 rocket roared into the sky from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, successfully injecting two small spacecraft — SDX-01 (Chaser) and SDX-02 (Target) — into a 670-km circular orbit. The primary objective of the SpaDeX mission is to demonstrate autonomous docking technology in space — a critical capability that only four countries (USA, Russia, China, and now India) possess. Speaking immediately after the flawless launch, ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath said, “Today, India has taken a major step towards building its own space station by 2035 and enabling human spaceflight missions to the Moon and beyond. In the coming days, the two spacecraft will perform rendezvous and docking operations fully autonomously using indigenous systems.” The docking is scheduled to take place on 30 November 2025 at an altitude of approximately 670 km. Once docked, the combined spacecraft will operate as a single unit for several months, testing power transfer, formation flying, and life-extension technologies. The mission also carries 24 payloads from Indian startups, universities, and research institutions, marking one of the highest numbers of experimental payloads flown on a single PSLV mission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO scientists and wrote on X: “Bharat now joins an elite club of nations with space docking capability. This is not just a technological achievement — it is the foundation of India’s future in space exploration. Proud of our scientists!” With the success of SpaDeX, India is now firmly on track to establish the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and send Indian astronauts to the lunar surface by 2040. (This is a completely fictional sample news article created for demonstration purposes only)