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Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)

The cost of access to space is the major deterrent in space exploration and space utilization. A reusable launch vehicle is the unanimous solution to achieve low cost, reliable and on-demand space access. In the coming years, the driving factor in launch vehicle development would be reduction of cost of access to space. Based on the current assessment of technologies available and that would be achieved in the next one or 1½ decades, it appears that Re-usable launch vehicle technology will have to be developed with appropriate flight demonstration tests.

Air breathing propulsion system related technologies being developed will feed into RLV program. With the above, an intermediate Two-Stage-To-Orbit (TSTO) vehicle may be the path for realisation by about 2025 which could take India towards a Single-Stage-To- Orbit (SSTO) vehicle beyond this period. The long term vision for Space transportation System for the next 25 years is realisation of a cost effective state-of-art Two-stage-To-Orbit (TSTO) vehicle while supporting the national needs through expendable launch vehicle till such time.

The goals set by ISRO are well defined and in order to achieve those, a number of technological developments have to be undertaken both in the launch vehicle area as well as in spacecraft domain. The current level of technologies have to be upgraded to a higher magnitude and novel concepts have to be introduced to achieve a much better and reliable space transportation system. New Technologies acquired will be the driving force for futuristic space missions. Development of advanced propulsion technologies such as nuclear propulsion for planetary missions will have to be initiated.

A number of research and development programs in all areas of aerospace discipline have been initiated and these have to take shape and maturity before actually getting inducted in the missions. Once the technology gets proven at laboratory level, it has to be demonstrated at a sub-scale level and then on using a complete version of the system before inducting in operational missions. Based on the technologies available with ISRO and the same to be acquired in the next decade, a modular launch vehicle capable of carrying payloads from 500 kg to 6000 Kg on the expendable side and a totally reusable launch vehicle in another half a decade seemed a reality to ISRO.

RLV TSTO is not space shuttle as commonly referred to in media. TSTOs first stage will be derived from upper stage of RLV-TD that looks like a mini space shuttle. The upper stage of TSTO will be derived from technologies developed in SRE experiments. Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration Program or RLV-TD is a series of technology demonstration missions that have been considered as a first step towards realizing a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully re-usable vehicle. A Winged Reusable Launch Vehicle technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion. These technologies will be developed in phases through a series of experimental flights. The first in the series of experimental flights is the hypersonic flight experiment (HEX) followed by the landing experiment (LEX), return flight experiment (REX) and scramjet propulsion experiment (SPEX). Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator Hypersonic Experiment (RLV-TD HEX1) wherein the hypersonic aero-thermo dynamic characterization of winged reentry body along with autonomous mission management to land at a specified location and characterization of hot structures are planned to be demonstrated.

As a first step towards realizing a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully re-usable launch vehicle, a series of technology demonstration missions have been conceived. For this purpose a Winged Reusable Launch Vehicle technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) has been configured. The RLV-TD will act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies viz., hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air breathing propulsion. First in the series of demonstration trials is the hypersonic flight experiment (HEX).

The Integrated Technical Review (ITR) of RLV-TD by the National Review Committee in October 2012 has concluded that launch of RLV-TD HEX-01 mission in September 2013 was feasible.

On 23 May 2016 India successfully launched an unmanned miniature reusable space shuttle. The 7 meter prototype, named the Reusable Launch Vehicle, was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota near Chennai in eastern India. The shuttle reached an altitude of 43 miles before landing on its target spot 280 miles away in the Bay of Bengal. The test flight lasted for about 10 minutes, with scientists hoping to reuse the shuttle soon for another flight.

From that peak altitude of 65 km, RLV-TD began its descent followed by atmospheric re-entry at around Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The vehicle’s Navigation, Guidance and Control system accurately steered the vehicle during this phase for safe descent. After successfully surviving a high temperatures of re-entry with the help of its Thermal Protection System (TPS), RLV-TD successfully glided down to the defined landing spot over Bay of Bengal, at a distance of about 450 km from Sriharikota, thereby fulfilling its mission objectives.

The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from ground stations at Sriharikota and a shipborne terminal. Total flight duration from launch to landing of this mission of the delta winged RLV-TD, lasted for about 770 seconds. In this flight, critical technologies such as autonomous navigation, guidance & control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management have been successfully validated.

Devi Prasad Karnik, from the Indian Space Research Organisation told The Hindu, “Everything went according to the predictions.” The ISRO said that the successful launch is important in the future development of cheap, reliable and reusable space crafts. India is aiming to make space exploration cheaper than ever before. The shuttle cost India around $US14 million, significantly cheaper than other spacecraft. A reusable rocket launched by SpaceX, a company founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk, cost more than $US60 million.