After a seamless lift-off from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, the SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is now on course to dock with the International Space Station (ISS), marking a historic milestone in its journey and a pivotal moment for India.
Ever since its separation from the Falcon-9鈥檚 second-stage, the Dragon capsule has been orbiting the Earth 鈥 awaiting perfect alignment with the microgravity laboratory. The four-member crew changed out of their space-suits, had a meal and took a rest period before their arrival 鈥 during what is referred to as the Activation and Rendezvous Phase of the spacecraft.
This is the first flight for the SpaceX鈥檚 Dragon supporting the mission, adding a fifth Dragon to the SpaceX鈥檚 fleet of spacecraft supporting commercial human spaceflight missions. As it approaches the ISS, NASA鈥檚 role now becomes critical 鈥 managing the integration phase of docking, continuing support through the crew鈥檚 stay aboard the ISS and concluding after their safe splashdown into the sea.
NASA TAKES CHARGE, AS DRAGON APPROACHES ISS
Scientists have been closely monitoring the spacecraft鈥檚 trajectory. Though it may seem like a routine procedure for the US-space agency, each mission presents its own set of complexities during docking. Though very few, there have been instances where technical glitches, navigation misalignments, communication dropout or a sudden anomaly caused delays.
In 2020, SpaceX Crew-1 faced a minor navigation alignment issue during docking, but it was soon resolved by the on-board systems. In 2019, Boeing鈥檚 Starliner encountered a more serious setback during its first orbital test flight, when a system anomaly prevented it from reaching the ISS. The spacecraft had to return to Earth prematurely, but managed to complete the mission on its second un-crewed attempt in 2022. The mission was aimed at validating Starliner鈥檚 role in NASA鈥檚 human spaceflight programmes.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
During this 28.5-hour journey, Dragon will perform a series of orbital burns to gradually align and raise its orbit for a precise docking with the ISS鈥檚 Harmony module. While automated systems are designed to handle docking procedures efficiently, they still demand careful monitoring and maneuvering by ground teams and on-board crew.
According to the current timeline, it is scheduled to dock with Harmony鈥檚 space-facing port at 4:30 PM IST after which the hatch will be opened, allowing the crew to enter the ISS and begin their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. The Ax-4 private astronauts will greet the seven Expedition 73 crewmates, call down to Earth for welcoming remarks, then participate in a safety briefing with the station residents.
PROUD MOMENT FOR EVERY INDIAN
Just as the Falcon-9 ascent began, scientists, researchers from various institutes gathered at CSIR headquarters in New Delhi to watch the big moment. 鈥淰ery rarely do I go speechless, but today is one such day. I consider this the greatest opportunity for CSIR 鈥 second only to the Chandrayaan touchdown. Day by day, society is starting to believe more strongly that development can truly happen through science and technology, and the space team is taking us to even greater heights. They will conduct experiments, explore how Carbon-Nitrogen exchange happens in microgravity, and even the potential to grow plants. Based on this first step, we may begin to understand so much more 鈥 what all is possible in space,鈥 said Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director-General, CSIR.
Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences too was ecstatic as he congratulated ISRO for its successful collaboration. 鈥淲e are very happy for Group Captain Shukla that he will get to see the Earth from space, and eagerly waiting for the pictures. This will also help in preparing for Gaganyaan, so by the time it comes, we will be ready. It is a milestone that has been delayed multiple times, but it is a proud moment for all of us. And next we have is Samudrayaan (India鈥檚 deep ocean mission). We are waiting for that moment too.鈥