News India's first-ever indigenous space shuttle (RLV-TD) launched

Devesh

Core Member
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Technoglitch

Core Member
The test launch is considered a significant step in India's space endeavour. It's especially important because in 2011, the U.S.'s Nasa abandoned its resuable space shuttle project

The test launch of the 6.5 metre long and 1.75 ton reusable launch vehicle ( RLV-TD ) occurred at 7 am on Monday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

"Mission accomplished successfully," ISRO said after the launch.

The RLV-TD is described as "a very preliminary step" in the development of a reusable rocket, the final version of which is expected to take 10-15 years.

The government has invested Rs 95 crores in the RLV-TD project.

ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar explained that the experimental RLV it is essentially an attempt by India to bring down the cost of making infrastructure for space.

"The RLV is a mechanism for us to bring down the cost of launch. We intend to go through a series of technology demonstration exercises, the first one of which we call HEX-01, that is a hypersonic experiment. It is called a winged body," Kumar said.


ISRO successfully test launches India's first-ever indigenous space shuttle - Times of India
 

THAKUR

EntMnt Contributor
Finest Member
On May 23, 2016 ISRO successfully flight tested India’s first winged body aerospace vehicle operating in hypersonic flight regime.

In this experimental mission, the HS9 solid rocket booster carrying RLV-TD lifted off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 07:00hr IST. After a successful flight of 91.1second, HS9 burn out occurred, following which both HS9 and RLV-TD mounted on its top coasted to a height of about 56 km. At that height, RLV-TD separated from HS9 booster and further ascended to a height of about 65km.

From that peak altitude of 65 km, RLV-TD began its descent followed by atmospheric re-entry at around Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The vehicle’s Navigation, Guidance and Control system accurately steered the vehicle during this phase for safe descent. After successfully surviving a high temperatures of re-entry with the help of its Thermal Protection System (TPS), RLV-TD successfully glided down to the defined landing spot over Bay of Bengal, at a distance of about 450km from Sriharikota, thereby fulfilling its mission objectives. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from ground stations at Sriharikota and a shipborne terminal. Total flight duration from launch to landing of this mission of the delta winged RLV-TD, lasted for about 770seconds.

In this flight, critical technologies such as autonomous navigation, guidance & control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management have been successfully validated.



Indian Television Dot Com | ISRO successfully flight tested India's Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)
 
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