RLV Technology Demonstration Programme
Indian reusable rocket technology demonstration programme. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Reusable Launch Vehicle–Technology Demonstration Programme is a series of technology demonstration missions that has been conceived by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a first step towards realising a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) re-usable launch vehicle, in which the second stage is a spaceplane.[3]
Program overview | |
---|---|
Country | India |
Organization | ISRO |
Programme history | |
Duration | 2012–present[1] |
First flight | 01:30 UTC, 23 May 2016 [2] |
Last flight | March 2024 |
Successes | 2 |
Launch site(s) | |
Vehicle information | |
Launch vehicle(s) | GSLV Mk II |
For this purpose, a winged reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) has been configured. The RLV-TD acted as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies like powered cruise flight, hypersonic flight, and autonomous landing using air-breathing propulsion. Application of these technologies would bring down the launch cost by a factor of 10.[4] This project has no connection with the Avatar spaceplane concept by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation.[5]