NEW DELHI, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said Thursday it has completed the undocking of two satellites, part of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission.

The ISRO accomplished the pivotal operation of undocking SpaDeX satellites in the first attempt at 09:20 local time on Thursday. The undocking of the satellites took place in 460 km circular orbit with 45-degree inclination, and the satellites are now orbiting independently and their health is normal, the space agency said in a statement.

The SpaDeX satellites were docked on Jan. 16, 2025.

The latest development will pave the way for the smooth conduct of future missions, including the Indian space station, moon mission, and sky craft, according to a senior official.

The ISRO launched the SpaDeX mission on Dec. 30, 2024, using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C60) with two satellites -- SDX01 and SDX02 from the launch pad of Sriharikota, off the Bay of Bengal coast located in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

"The in-orbit performance of the docked satellites was extensively analyzed and an immediate opportunity was found to be feasible from March 10, 2025, till March 25, 2025. The entire operations were monitored through ground stations," ISRO said.

"Having accomplished this major milestone of undocking, further experiments with satellites are planned in the coming days," the agency said. Enditem

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