Only the US, Russia and China have previously docked in space. The expertise is critical for advanced missions.

The spacecraft were blasted off from Sriharikota launch pad in southern India on 30 December on a single rocket. Once airborne, they separated. The docking process, initially scheduled for 7 January,

India on Thursday became the fourth country to successfully achieve an unmanned docking in space, a feat seen as pivotal for future missions as New Delhi cements its place as a global space power.

The Space Docking process was one of the primary goals of ISRO's SpaDeX Mission which was launched on December 31.