Amit Shah lauds ISRO for SpaDeX success, calls it a step towards India’s own space station

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday congratulated Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists for successfully de-docking the SpaDeX satellites in space, calling it a significant step toward India’s ambition of building its own space station.

“Bharat’s giant stride in space. Congratulations to Team @isro on the successful accomplishment of the de-docking of the SPADEX satellites in space,” Shah wrote in a post on X.

Bharat’s giant stride in space.

Congratulations to Team @isro on the successful accomplishment of the de-docking of the #SPADEX satellites in space. It is a proud moment for us that will accelerate PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s vision to build our own space station, Chandrayaan 4…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 13, 2025

He emphasized that the achievement aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of advancing India’s space capabilities, including future missions such as Chandrayaan-4 and Gaganyaan.

“It is a proud moment for us that will accelerate PM @narendramodi’s vision to build our own space station, Chandrayaan 4 and Gaganyaan,” he added.

On the capabilities of Indian scientists, Shah said that they have “proven yet again that even the sky is not our limit.”

Earlier on Thursday, ISRO announced the successful completion of its SpaDeX mission’s space de-docking, marking a significant milestone in India’s future in space exploration.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh also congratulated the ISRO scientists, calling the achievement “heartening for every Indian!”

“This paves the way for smooth conduct of ambitious future missions including the Bharatiya Antriksha Station, Chandrayaan 4 and Gaganyaan,” Singh said in a post on X.

The undocking process involved a precise sequence of events, culminating in the separation of the SDX-01 (Chaser) and SDX-02 (Target) satellites, which were launched on December 30, 2024, using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C60 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The process included the successful extension of SDX-2, the planned release of Capture Lever 3, and the disengagement of the Capture Lever in SDX-2. After these maneuvers, the decapture command was issued in both SDX-1 and SDX-2, leading to the successful separation of the satellites.

ISRO successfully completed docking the two SPADEX satellites (SDX-01 and SDX-02) in the early hours of January 16 this year, marking India’s entry into becoming the fourth country in the world –alongside China, Russia, and the United States –to have space docking technology.

According to the space organization, the groundbreaking mission aims to showcase India’s technological prowess in spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking – a critical capability for future advancements such as satellite servicing, space station operations, and interplanetary exploration.

The SpaDeX spacecraft were designed and realized by the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) with the support of other ISRO centers (VSSC, LPSC, SAC, IISU, and LEOS). (ANI)