ISRO announced on Thursday that it has arrested the drift between satellites in its ambitious Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) and set the spacecrafts in a slow drift course to move closer to each other. The space agency expects the experiment to reach initialisation conditions by Friday.
“SpaDeX Docking Update: The drift has been arrested and spacecrafts put in a slow drift course to move closer to each other. By tomorrow, it is expected to reach initialisation conditions,” ISRO said in a statement.
The ISRO had twice cancelled the SpaDeX mission, once on January 7 and then on January 9. Citing the reason behind postponement of the exercise on Thursday, the ISRO said while making a manoeuvre to reach 225 m between satellites, the drift was found to be more than expected, post non-visibility period.
