Context:
ISRO has achieved a third consecutive success in the final test of RLV Landing EXperiment (LEX), following the success of RLV LEX-01 and LEX-02 missions.
Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Technology:
- RLV LEX – Part of RLV-Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD) Programme
- Aim – To develop essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle to enable low cost access to space.
- Planned mission under RLV-TD –
- A series of TD missions including HEX01 mission (2016)
- 3 LEX missions
- RLV Orbital Re-entry Experiment (ORE)
About RLV LEX-03:
- This mission simulated high-speed landing conditions for a vehicle returning from space.
- Test was conducted with a winged vehicle, named ‘Pushpak’ which autonomously approached the runway and performed a precise horizontal landing.
- Unlike the SpaceX’s Falcon 9 that lands back vertically, Pushpak has wings to help it glide horizontally.
ISRO’s RLV-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) Vehicle:
- RLV-TD has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies – hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and powered cruise flight.
- It consists of a fuselage (body), a nose cap, double delta wings and twin vertical tails and looks similar to an aircraft.
- RLV-TD will be scaled up to become the 1st stage of India’s reusable two stage orbital launch vehicle.
Previous experiments under RLV-TD Programme:
- RLV-TD HEX-01 (hypersonic experiment) mission, 2016: It validated autonomous navigation, guidance & control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management.
- RLV LEX-01 (2023) and LEX-02 (March 2024) missions: ISRO validated the indigenously developed technologies in the areas of navigation, control systems, landing gear and deceleration systems essential for performing a high-speed autonomous landing of a space-returning vehicle.
Space Agencies Currently Using or Developing RLVs:
- SpaceX (USA): Falcon 9, with over 220 launches, 178 landings, and 155 re-flights as of May 2023.
- Blue Origin (USA): New Shepard performs suborbital flights and lands vertically.
- JAXA (Japan) and ESA (Europe): Researching reusable launch systems to reduce space access costs.
- ISRO (India): Developed the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD) and conducted a successful landing.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements:
1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.
2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.
3. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 2 is not correct: Satellites launched by GSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.
Statement 3 is not correct: GSLV Mk III is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle with two solid strap-one, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage.
