ISRO successfully conducts RLV test from Karnataka

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully conducted the autonomous test landing mission of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Karnataka's Chitradurga city today, Sunday, March 2, 2023.

“India achieved it. ISRO joined by DRDO successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka in the early hours on April 2, 2023,” the Indian space agency said in an official statement.

The RLV took off at 7.10 am by a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force, the statement said, adding that it completed an autonomous landing using the Integrated Navigation, Guidance & control system on the ATR at 7.40 am.

The statement also said that the autonomous landing was carried out under the exact conditions of a Space re-entry vehicle's landing high speed, unmanned, precise landing from the same return path as if the vehicle arrives from space.

“LEX utilized several indigenous systems. Localized Navigation systems, instrumentation, and sensor systems, etc. were developed by ISRO,” the Indian space agency added.

“ISRO had demonstrated the re-entry of its winged vehicle RLV-TD  in the HEX mission in May 2016. The re-entry of a hypersonic sub-orbital vehicle marked a major accomplishment in developing Reusable Launch Vehicles," it said.

"The LEX began with an Integrated Navigation test in 2019 and followed multiple Engineering Model Trials and Captive Phase tests in subsequent years,” the statement read.

Along with ISRO, Indian Air Force (IAF), Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), and Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) also contributed to this test, ANI reported.

Dr. S Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, VSSC, and Shyam Mohan N, Programme Director, ATSP guided the teams.

Dr. Jayakumar M, Project Director, RLV was the Mission Director, and Muthupandian J, Associate Project Director, RLV was the Vehicle Director for the mission. Ramakrishna, Director, ISTRAC was present on the occasion. Chairman, ISRO/Secretary, DOS Somanath witnessed the test and congratulated the team.

With LEX, the dream of an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle arrives one step closer to reality, said the ISRO  officials.

(With ANI inputs)