India successfully docks two spacecraft in Earth’s orbit

India became just the fourth nation to successfully dock two spacecraft in orbit.

The country’s space plans are increasingly ambitious, and orbital docking is a crucial step toward building a space station or landing on the Moon. The two craft launched together, then orbited in parallel for some time — the docking was scheduled for Jan. 7 but delayed for testing.

Space was once the preserve of the US and Russian states, but other countries are becoming bigger players, as are private companies: After Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin managed its first launch this week, SpaceX’s Starship had its seventh test flight, although it experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” over the ocean which forced US airlines to divert flights.