ISRO's Chandrayaan-4 To Push Boundaries With Space Docking And Lunar Sample Collection

After its successful moon landing near the lunar south pole, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now gearing up for the Chandrayaan-4 mission, which aims to collect and return samples from the moon's surface.

This mission will necessitate multiple launches and advanced capabilities, including a space docking experiment planned for later this year.

The space docking experiment, known as SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment), will involve deploying two mini-satellites into different orbits. The goal is to maneuver these satellites close enough to dock, facilitating the transfer of objects in space.

ISRO Chairman S. Somanath stated that the spacecraft would need to be assembled in space before heading to the Moon. This approach is necessary because the Chandrayaan-4 mission will exceed the payload capacity of ISRO's most powerful rocket currently available.

“We are not making any claims to be the first one to attempt this, but yes, I am not aware of anyone else having done this so far,” Somanath said.