RAS question
SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) by ISRO demonstrated:
Correct answer: (D) Autonomous docking of two spacecraft in orbit.
SPADEX demonstrated the autonomous docking of spacecraft in orbit, making India the fourth nation to demonstrate docking in space.
Explanation
SPADEX was ISRO's Space Docking Experiment, and its core achievement was not a launch service or a planetary mission but autonomous docking in orbit. The official Department of Space achievements page says SPADEX successfully demonstrated autonomous docking and undocking, with power transfer between satellites, and calls it a major step towards in-orbit servicing capabilities and docking operations on space stations. In the mission, two small spacecraft carried out autonomous rendezvous and docking in orbit. The technology matters because future space-station construction, satellite servicing and crewed missions need spacecraft to meet, align and connect safely in space. SPADEX made India the fourth nation to demonstrate docking in space.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Asteroid mining is wrong because SPADEX focused on autonomous rendezvous and docking in orbit, not extracting resources from asteroids.
- (B) Satellite internet is wrong because systems such as SpaceX Starlink provide internet connectivity, while SPADEX tested docking and related in-orbit capabilities.
- (C) Lunar landing is wrong because India's lunar-landing context belongs to the Chandrayaan missions, whereas SPADEX dealt with two spacecraft docking in Earth orbit.
Concept
Current Indian space-technology milestones fall under Science and Technology. RAS often links ISRO missions with strategic capabilities such as docking, servicing and future crewed-space infrastructure.