ISRO Achieves Hat-Trick with Third Successful Landing of Reusable Launch Vehicle

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 23rd June. In a landmark achievement, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed its third consecutive landing of an uncrewed, autonomous winged Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), marking a significant milestone in space technology. The third and final test in the series of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing Experiment (LEX) was conducted at 07:10 IST at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka.

In a statement, ISRO announced, “We have proudly achieved a third consecutive success in the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing Experiment (LEX) today.” ISRO Chairman S. Somanath elaborated on this achievement in an interview with NDTV, stating, “ISRO achieved a hat-trick of safe landings by the Pushpak or Reusable Launch Vehicle. This sets the stage for the orbital test of Pushpak, which will be launched on a rocket into space and then safely land on Earth. This is truly a game-changing technology to reduce the cost of access to space, a uniquely ‘atmanirbhar’ effort by ISRO to harness reusable rockets in a ‘swadeshi’ way in the 21st century.”

Hat-trick for ISRO in RLV LEX! 🚀

🇮🇳ISRO achieved its third and final consecutive success in the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing EXperiment (LEX) on June 23, 2024.

"Pushpak" executed a precise horizontal landing, showcasing advanced autonomous capabilities under… pic.twitter.com/cGMrw6mmyH

— ISRO (@isro) June 23, 2024

Somanath further explained the significance of the technology, highlighting that the Pushpak RLV will bring back the most expensive part of the rocket, which houses the electronics, making it a futuristic rocket tech for India. “The real big test will come with the orbital test,” he said. “The Orbital Re-entry Vehicle (ORV) will have high-temperature protection tiles on its outer surface, liquid rocket engines, and a retractable landing gear. It will also have space for a payload that can be deployed through a door that will open.”

Today’s test, RLV LEX-03, re-demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of the RLV under more challenging conditions compared to previous tests. The winged vehicle, ‘Pushpak’, was released from an Indian Air Force Chinook Helicopter at an altitude of 4.5 km and at a release point 4.5 km away from the runway. Pushpak autonomously executed cross-range correction maneuvers and performed a precise horizontal landing at the runway centerline. The vehicle’s low lift-to-drag ratio aerodynamic configuration resulted in a landing velocity exceeding 320 kmph. After touchdown, the vehicle’s brake parachute and landing gear brakes reduced the velocity to nearly 100 kmph.

ISRO’s statement detailed the mission’s objectives, including simulating the approach and landing interface and high-speed landing conditions for a vehicle returning from space. This mission reaffirmed ISRO’s expertise in acquiring the critical technologies required for the development of an RLV.

The advanced guidance algorithm for longitudinal and lateral plane error corrections, essential for future Orbital Re-entry Missions, was validated in this mission. The RLV-LEX utilized multi-sensor fusion, including sensors like an inertial sensor, radar altimeter, flush air data system, pseudolite system, and NavIC. Remarkably, the winged body and flight systems used in the LEX-03 mission were reused from the LEX-02 mission without any modifications, demonstrating the robustness of ISRO’s design and reuse capabilities.

The development of India’s swadeshi ‘space shuttle’, though uncrewed, represents a significant leap of faith. A larger vehicle will be constructed for the orbital test, based on today’s success, and will first be tested in a landing experiment before being flown into space and brought back to Earth.

ISRO embarked on the RLV project over a decade ago, with a dedicated team of engineers and scientists making this vision a reality. The government has invested over ₹100 crore in the project. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath congratulated the team for their efforts in maintaining the success streak in such complex missions. Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, emphasized that this consistent success boosts ISRO’s confidence in the critical technologies essential for future orbital re-entry missions.