Isro plans orbital re-entry test for re-usable vehicle

BENGALURU: The Isro is set to follow up the successful tests of the re-usable launch vehicle technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) with a major experiment, though the immediate priority is the Rs 800-crore Chandrayaan-II mission slated for an October launch.

The space agency has completed the wind tunnel model with landing gear and low subsonic tests at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K). In the next phase, Isro has proposed to design and develop a scaled-up version of RLV and carry out an orbital re-entry experiment.

“Site has been identified for experiment and configuring landing runway with navigational aids for an autonomous descent. For unmanned landing, navigational aids and associated systems have to be established,” scientists working on the project said.


Isro chairman K Sivan, while confirming that there are multiple experiments of the RLV-TD in the pipeline, said: “That will happen only next year. This year, our focus is on various other missions that are already planned, with the priority being Chandrayaan-II.”

Chandrayaan-II is India’s second mission to Moon. While the first mission only orbited around the Earth’s satellite, Chandrayaan-II hopes to soft-land a rover on Moon’s surface. Isro presently hopes to execute the mission in October this year.

Human space programme

Mastering of the reusable technology will add wings to India’s dream of eventually building a vehicle that can go into space, deploy satellites and come back, which may take at least another decade. Former Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar had told TOI that having this technology would reduce the launch cost considerably. It is estimated that it would bring the cost down to one-tenth of what it presently is. The technology will be essential towards realising a two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) fully reusable launch vehicle, which according to its design theory can be used multiple times. The TSTO technology will allow Isro to move away from the expensive expendable launch vehicle technology.

The technology is also crucial for India’s proposed manned space mission. The mission is yet to get a complete go ahead from the government, but the UPA-led government had sanctioned Rs 145 crore for pre-launch activities.