RLV Technology Demonstration Programme: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:09, 23 July 2024

Revision as of 17:37, 23 July 2024

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A team of 750 engineers at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, [[National Aeronautical Laboratory]], and [[Indian Institute of Science]] worked on the design and development of RLV-TD and the associated rocket. RLV-TD underwent 120 hours of [[wind tunnel]], 5,000 hours of [[computational fluid dynamics]] and 1,100 runs of [[flight simulation]] tests. RLV-TD has mass of 1.75 tonnes, [[wingspan]] of 3.6 meters and overall length of 6.5 meters (excluding the rocket). The vehicle had 600 heat-resistant tiles on its undercarriage and it features [[delta wing]]s and angled [[Vertical stabilizer|tail fins]].<ref name="India Flies Winged Space Plane On Experimental Suborbital Launch">{{cite news|title=India Flies Winged Space Plane On Experimental Suborbital Launch|publisher=spaceflightnow.com|access-date=24 May 2016|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/05/23/india-flies-winged-space-plane-on-experimental-suborbital-launch/|archive-date=30 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830125724/https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/05/23/india-flies-winged-space-plane-on-experimental-suborbital-launch/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ISRO's Reusable Launch Vehicle What Happened And What Next">{{cite news|title=ISRO's Reusable Launch Vehicle What Happened And What Next|publisher=thewire.in|access-date=24 May 2016|url=http://thewire.in/2016/05/24/isros-reusable-launch-vehicle-what-happened-and-what-next-38312/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525122822/http://thewire.in/2016/05/24/isros-reusable-launch-vehicle-what-happened-and-what-next-38312/|archive-date=25 May 2016}}</ref> Total cost of the project was {{INRConvert|95|c|1|no|to=USD|year=2016}}.<ref name="VSSC to find new skies">{{cite news|title=VSSC to find new skies|publisher=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=24 May 2016|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/VSSC-to-find-new-skies-through-RLV-TD-launch/2016/05/18/article3438189.ece|archive-date=15 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915054724/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/VSSC-to-find-new-skies-through-RLV-TD-launch/2016/05/18/article3438189.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="India's own space shuttle launched successfully">{{cite news|title=India's own space shuttle launched successfully|publisher=[[The Hindustan Times]]|access-date=24 May 2016|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/india-s-very-own-space-shuttle-launched-successfully-by-isro/story-53k4Yr6sdfxzj7BS9vEUSO.html|archive-date=30 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830111244/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/india-s-very-own-space-shuttle-launched-successfully-by-isro/story-53k4Yr6sdfxzj7BS9vEUSO.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Future planned developments include testing an air-breathing propulsion system, which aims to capitalise on the oxygen in the atmosphere instead of liquefied oxygen while in flight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebetterindia.com/56310/indian-space-research-organization-rlv-air-breathing-propulsion-system/|title=ISRO to Test Rocket That Uses Oxygen Directly from the Atmosphere to Fuel Itself|date=2016-05-26|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-07|archive-date=2016-09-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908010913/http://www.thebetterindia.com/56310/indian-space-research-organization-rlv-air-breathing-propulsion-system/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Air Breathing Propulsion Project ===

===Engines===

In January 2006, ISRO completed the design, development and tests of [[scramjet]] ([[Ramjet|supersonic ramjet]]) at its [[Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre]] in [[Thiruvananthapuram]]. During the ground tests, stable supersonic combustion with an inlet [[Mach number]] 6 was demonstrated for 7 seconds.

On 3 March 2010, ISRO successfully conducted the [[flight test]] of its new sounding rocket ATV-D01 from [[Satish Dhawan Space Centre]] in [[Sriharikota]]. ATV-D01 weighed 3 tonnes at lift-off and was the heaviest sounding rocket ever developed by ISRO at the time. It was mounted with a passive [[Scramjet]] engine. The [[rocket]] flew for 7 seconds, achieved [[Mach number]] 6 + 0.5 and dynamic pressure 80 + 35 [[kPa]].<ref name="Flight testing of advanced sounding rocket">{{cite news|title=Flight testing of advanced sounding rocket|publisher=[[ISRO]] website|access-date=23 May 2016|url=http://www.isro.gov.in/update/03-mar-2010/successful-flight-testing-of-advanced-sounding-rocket|archive-date=9 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909115917/http://www.isro.gov.in/update/03-mar-2010/successful-flight-testing-of-advanced-sounding-rocket|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Khul Ke l708">{{cite web | title=ISRO Progresses Towards a Swadeshi Space Plane | website=Khul Ke | url=https://www.khulke.com/roundtable/recorded/642eeb22714e9eae0bbcc7d7 | access-date=2023-09-07 | archive-date=2023-09-07 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907091949/https://www.khulke.com/roundtable/recorded/642eeb22714e9eae0bbcc7d7 | url-status=live }}</ref>

On 28 August 2016, ISRO tested scramjet engine with a five-minute flight. At a height of 20 kilometers, the scramjet engine attached to a[[Advanced two-stageTechnology RH-560 sounding rocketVehicle]] was fired. The engineIt burnt fuel for five seconds, beforean fallingimportant intomilestone in Air Breathing Propulsion Project. The scramjet engine weighed 3,277 kg at lift-off. Critical technologies that have been successfully demonstrated include fuel injection systems, air intake mechanisms, air breathing engine igniting at supersonic speed, and holding the Bayflame at supersonic speed. Every aspect of Bengalthe flight operation followed a pre-programmed sequence. The design and development of a hypersonic engine air intake, a supersonic combustor, materials that can withstand extremely high temperatures, computational tools for simulating hypersonic flow, proper thermal management, and ground testing of the engines are just a few of the technological challenges that ISRO has successfully overcome.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-08-28 |title=ISRO successfully tests scramjet engine using oxygen from atmosphere |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/isro-successfully-tests-scramjet-engine-using-oxygen-from-atmosphere/articleshow/53892013.cms |access-date=2024-07-23 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ISRO’s Scramjet Engine Technology Demonstrator Successfully Flight Tested |url=https://www.isro.gov.in/ScramjetEngineTechnology.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=ISRO |publisher=Department of Space}}</ref>

On 23 July 2024, ISRO effectively concluded the second experimental flight demonstration of air breathing propulsion technology. Air Breathing Propulsion systems were symmetrically placed on both sides of the RH-560 sounding rocket used in the experiment. The Air Breathing propulsion systems were ignited successfully and the test performed satisfactorily. 110 parameters were extensively watched during the flight to evaluate the propulsion system's performance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-23 |title=Isro successfully conducts second test of Air Breathing Propulsion Technology |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/isro-successfully-conducts-second-test-of-air-breathing-propulsion-technology-2570706-2024-07-23 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>