Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration Program or RLV-TD are a series of technology demonstration missions that have been conceived by ISRO as a first step towards realizing a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully re-usable launch vehicle, Avatar.
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 like hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion.[1]
Missions
A total of four RLV-TD flights are planned by ISRO.[2]
- HEX (Hypersonic Flight Experiment)
- LEX (Landing Experiment)
- REX (Return Flight Experiment)
- SPEX (Scramjet Propulsion Experiment)
HEX is scheduled to take place no earlier than 2012[3].
