RLV Technology Demonstration Programme: Difference between revisions

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In January 2012, the design of ISRO's [[reusable launch vehicle]] was approved by the National Review Committee and clearance was granted to build the vehicle. The vehicle was named 'Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator' (RLV-TD).<ref name="Launch vehicle approved">{{cite news|title=Launch vehicle approved|publisher=[[Daily News and Analysis|DNA India]]|access-date=23 May 2016|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-isro-s-design-of-reusable-launch-vehicle-approved-1633779|archive-date=11 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911044601/http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-isro-s-design-of-reusable-launch-vehicle-approved-1633779|url-status=live}}</ref> ISRO aims to bring down the cost of [[payload]] delivery to [[low Earth orbit]] by 80% from existing $20,000/kg to $4,000/kg.<ref name="Make In India Gets Wings With Successful Launch Of Swadeshi Space Shuttle">{{cite news|title=Make In India Gets Wings With Successful Launch Of Swadeshi Space Shuttle|publisher=[[The Free Press Journal]]|access-date=24 May 2016|url=http://www.freepressjournal.in/make-in-india-gets-wings-with-successful-launch-of-swadeshi-space-shuttle/856065|archive-date=25 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525125001/http://www.freepressjournal.in/make-in-india-gets-wings-with-successful-launch-of-swadeshi-space-shuttle/856065|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="India Just Launched A Mini Space Shuttle">{{cite news| title=India Just Launched A Mini Space Shuttle| publisher=sciencealert.com| access-date=24 May 2016| url=http://www.sciencealert.com/india-just-launched-a-mini-space-shuttle| archive-date=17 September 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917171853/http://www.sciencealert.com/india-just-launched-a-mini-space-shuttle| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Breakthrough in Supersonic combustion technology">{{cite news|title=Breakthrough in Supersonic combustion technology|publisher=[[Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre]] website|access-date=23 May 2016|url=http://www.vssc.gov.in/VSSC_V4/index.php/2006/79-press-release-articles/631-isro-supersonic-combustion-tech|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304135953/http://www.vssc.gov.in/VSSC_V4/index.php/2006/79-press-release-articles/631-isro-supersonic-combustion-tech|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The RLV-TD was developed with an objective to test various aspects such as [[hypersonic flight]], [[autoland]], powered [[cruise flight]], hypersonic flight using the [[air-breathing engine]] [[propulsion]] and Hypersonic Experiment.

A series of four RLV-TD test flights arehave been planned by ISRO:<ref name="Launch vehicle approved"/><ref name="Demonstration program">{{cite news|title=Demonstration program|publisher=[[ISRO]] website|access-date=23 May 2016|url=http://www.isro.gov.in/technology-development-programmes/reusable-launch-vehicle-technology-demonstration-program-rlv-td|archive-date=23 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523073038/http://www.isro.gov.in/technology-development-programmes/reusable-launch-vehicle-technology-demonstration-program-rlv-td|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Low cost access">{{cite news|title=Low cost access|publisher=bharat-rakshak.com|access-date=23 May 2016|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/media/33219-5/IMG_0024.JPG|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165739/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/media/33219-5/IMG_0024.JPG|url-status=live}}</ref>: HEX (Hypersonic Flight Experiment) - completed, LEX (Landing Experiment) - completed, REX (Return Flight Experiment) later renamed to OREX (Orbital Return Flight Experiment) - planned, and SPEX (Scramjet Propulsion Experiment) - planned.

A team of 750 engineers at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, [[National Aerospace Laboratories]], 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> The aerodynamic characterization research was conducted at the [[National Aerospace Laboratories]]' 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-06 |title=Bengaluru: 1.2m trisonic wind tunnel at National Aerospace Laboratories completes 55 years of service |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/bengaluru-12m-trisonic-wind-tunnel-at-national-aerospace-laboratories-completes-55-years-of-service20220606001500/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=ANI |language=en}}</ref>