Isro's Busy End to 2024: Key Space Missions, Including Spadex and Proba-3, Planned for December

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is preparing for a busy end to 2024.

Several major missions are planned, including the important Space Docking Experiment (Spadex) on December 20.

This mission will test key technologies for India’s future human spaceflight programs and space station projects.

In a previous interview, an Isro official explained that docking technology is vital for the Chandrayaan-4 mission.

Spadex will serve as a precursor for this technology. During Spadex, a satellite will be split into two parts in space and then reunited.

This technology will help in transferring humans between spacecraft, refueling spacecraft for longer missions, and tansporting other satellites into space.

A successful Spadex experiment will also provide valuable data on space rendezvous technology.

This will be essential for India’s future space station, as it will allow spacecraft to find and stay in the same orbit.

Another major mission is the European Space Agency’s Proba-3. Isro will launch this mission using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Proba-3 will demonstrate precise formation flying between two satellites to create an artificial eclipse. This will allow for detailed observations of the Sun's corona.

The launch was originally set for December 4, but it may be delayed by a day or two due to weather conditions.

Proba-3 consists of two satellites: the Coronagraph and the Occulter.

These will fly in close formation to block the Sun's light, allowing the Coronagraph to capture images of the faint solar corona.

This mission will study coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which can disrupt satellites and power grids on Earth. It will also track changes in the Sun’s energy output.

Isro is also targeting a December 31 launch for the GSLV mission.

This will carry India’s navigation satellite NVS-2. The mission was originally planned for the Nisar satellite but was delayed.

The NVS-2 launch is now set for December 31, though it could be pushed into January.