India achieves successful spacecraft docking in orbit, joining elite spacefaring nations

India's space agency, ISRO, successfully docked two spacecraft in orbit, making India the fourth country to achieve this milestone. The docking occurred about 295 miles above Earth after a delay from the planned date. ISRO also announced government approval for a third launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Center. This new pad aims to increase launch frequencies and support future human spaceflight and exploration missions. The docking success follows India's recent achievements, including the Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing and the Aditya-L1 mission for space weather observation. An uncrewed Gaganyaan test flight is planned for later this year.