ISRO achieves major milestone in reusable launch vehicle technology

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved yet another success in the Reusable launch vehicle (RLV) landing experiment that took place at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Karnataka, on Friday, March 22.

Building on the success of the RLV-LEX-01 mission last year, the first in the series, the RLV LEX-02 landing experiment showcased the autonomous landing capability of RLV from off-nominal initial conditions at release from Helicopter.

During this second experiment in the series, the RLV, named Pushpak, demonstrated exceptional agility and precision. It executed complex maneuvers from off-nominal initial conditions after being released by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter from an altitude of 4.5 km. Pushpak autonomously navigated towards the runway, performing cross-range corrections and ultimately landing precisely on the designated runway using its brake parachute, landing gear brakes, and nose wheel steering system.

The latest experiment re-validated indigenously developed technologies crucial for a high-speed autonomous landing, including navigation, control systems, landing gear, and deceleration systems.

The successful experiment was a collaborative effort by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), and supported by contributions from the Indian Air Force, ADE, ADRDE, and CEMILAC.

RLV-LEX-02 Experiment:🇮🇳ISRO nails it again!🎯Pushpak (RLV-TD), the winged vehicle, landed autonomously with precision on the runway after being released from an off-nominal position.🚁@IAF_MCC pic.twitter.com/IHNoSOUdRx

— ISRO (@isro) March 22, 2024