Another milestone for Isro with space shuttle test 5 Photos . Updated: 02 Jun 2016, 01:10 PM IST Livemint India on Monday successfully launched the first technology demonstrator of its indigenously made Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), a small step towards developing a full-size space shuttle 1/5India on Monday successfully launched its first test of a mini space shuttle as Isro joined the global race to make rockets as reusable as airplanes. Dubbed the “swadeshi” space shuttle, it was launched at 7am from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. Pictures courtesy Twitter 2/5The Reusable Launch Vehicle, or RLV-TD, which is around the size of a minibus, was reportedly developed on a budget of just one billion rupees ($14 million), and is seen as a small step in achieving the objective of reducing the cost of space transportation, 3/5An artist’s impression of the RLV-TD. A reusable launch vehicle will be capable of taking satellites to space and then landing back on earth so that it can be used more than once and is expected to drastically reduce the cost of space missions in the future. PTI 4/5The double delta-winged flight vehicle was hoisted into the atmosphere on a special rocket booster. After reaching an altitude of about 70 kilometres (43 miles), it glided back down to Earth, splashing into the Bay of Bengal 10 minutes later. 5/5This is one of the many tests to be conducted. The next test will be focussed on landing the vehicle, according to Isro officials.