The Department of Space has granted a space project worth Rs 10 crore under which Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) will be able to refuel spacecrafts so that they can have a longer life. It will also help in transferring other crucial systems to spacecraft in orbit.
According to a report by The Times of India report, the technology will eventually help transferring humans to the space stations and bring them back.
It will allow two space vehicles to attach in orbit and also transfer material between them. The terms used for the technology are spacecraft docking and berthing.
Speaking to the newspaper, senior scientist T K Anuradha confirmed that experiments to this end were under way at the Isro Space Application Centre (Isac), Bengaluru, in 2016. Some ground simulation have already been completed by ISRO.
Another senior scientist said, "The plan is to launch two small spacecraft to test the technology in space. India operates a huge constellation of satellites and this technology will allow Isro to enhance their lives by refuelling them. It'll also reduce space debris."
However, there will be some challenges like managing the speed of the spacecrafts while docking.
Earlier in February, ISRO scripted history by successfully launching 104 satellites, including India's weather observation Cartosat-2 Series, in a single mission onboard its dependable Polar rocket.
Bettering Russian space agency's feat of launching 37 satellites in a single mission in 2014, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) injected the Cartosat-2 Series satellite and 103 nano satellites into precise orbit after a textbook lift-off from this spaceport, about 100 km from Chennai.