ISRO Pushpak Viman: Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)

Context

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it successfully conducted the landing experiment of Pushpak Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) at Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga district in Karnataka.

Pushpak Viman: Decoding India’s ambitious Reusable Launch Vehicle

• Simulation of Landing Conditions: The high-speed landing conditions and approach used by RLV while returning from space was simulated during the mission.
• Advanced Landing Experiments: This is ISRO’s second series of RLV landing experiments and this time, the RLV exhibited autonomous landing capability and undertook more difficult manoeuvres with dispersions.
• ISRO’s Pursuit of Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology: This mission is a part of ISRO’s ongoing efforts to develop essential technologies for a fully RLV, aimed at enabling low-cost access to space. 
• Previous RLV Missions: ISRO had successfully conducted previous RLV missions in 2016.
  • The experiment involved sending a winged spacecraft on a rocket powered by conventional solid booster (HS9) engine used by ISRO into space. 

About ISRO Pushpak Viman

• Single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) Vehicle: Pushpak RLV is designed as an all-rocket, fully reusable SSTO vehicle, incorporating advanced elements from previous demonstrators like the X-33, X-34, and the upgraded DC-XA. 

What is a Re-Usable Landing Vehicle (RLV)?

• About: A RLV is a vehicle that is launched into space many times. As the vehicle can be used for many relaunches, it goes a long way in mitigating costs.
  • The idea behind RLV is to regain super expensive rocket boosters that are used for launching spacecraft. It could be later used to refuel and reuse in space flights.
• Functioning by ISRO: These launch vehicles are equipped with additional protection such as heat shields, grid fins, and other flight control surfaces. 
  • They weigh more compared to the expendable counterparts because of additional avionics and propellant. The shape of the spaceplane is also modified to support the recovery process.
• RLV by ISRO: The RLV that ISRO is building has only two stages to propel the vehicle into orbit. 
  • Once the fuel in the first stage has been expended, the vehicle will shed it, and carry on with the second stage. 
  • Once it has been shed, the first stage will re-enter the atmosphere and land in an autonomous fashion at a pre-determined location. After some maintenance, it will be available for reuse.

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