posted 05-20-2015 07:28 PM               

ISRO has tentatively slated the prototype's test flight from the first launchpad of Sriharikota spaceport for July this year, but the date would be finalised depending on the completion of construction.

...for the test mission, the unmanned space plane part would glide into the Bay of Bengal a la the recent crew module successfully tested aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (GSLV Mk-III) experimental flight last year.

posted 05-20-2015 07:36 PM               

RLV-TD: Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration Program

The cost of access to space is the major deterrent in space exploration and space utilization. A reusable launch vehicle is the unanimous solution to achieve low cost, reliable and on-demand space access.

Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration Program or RLV-TD is a series of technology demonstration missions that have been considered as a first step towards realizing a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully re-usable vehicle. A Winged Reusable Launch Vehicle technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion.

These technologies will be developed in phases through a series of experimental flights. The first in the series of experimental flights is the hypersonic flight experiment (HEX) followed by the landing experiment (LEX), return flight experiment (REX) and scramjet propulsion experiment (SPEX). Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator Hypersonic Experiment (RLV-TD HEX1) wherein the hypersonic aero-thermo dynamic characterization of winged re-entry body along with autonomous mission management to land at a specified location and characterization of hot structures are planned to be demonstrated.

posted 12-29-2015 02:20 PM               

Sources said on Sunday [Dec. 27] that the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD), under development at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here at Thumba, developed a minor leak during a test, forcing the ISRO to postpone the mission. The ambitious RLV-TD, the first small step to building a 'space shuttle' which can return to earth after accomplishing space missions, is likely to be delayed up to April 2016. ISRO had originally planned a mid-2015 launch for the RLV-TD. It had later been postponed to January 2016.

VSSC Director Dr K Sivan said that some of the components had to be re-assembled. "If things go as planned, we can launch the mission in the first week of February. Otherwise, the test will be conducted in the first week of April," he said.

posted 05-23-2016 08:05 AM               

India's Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD), Successfully Flight Tested

Today, May 23, ISRO successfully flight tested India's first winged body aerospace vehicle operating in hypersonic flight regime.

In this experimental mission, the HS9 solid rocket booster carrying RLV-TD lifted off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 07:00hr IST. After a successful flight of 91.1 second, HS9 burn out occurred, following which both HS9 and RLV-TD mounted on its top coasted to a height of about 56 km [35 mi]. At that height, RLV-TD separated from HS9 booster and further ascended to a height of about 65 km (40 mi).

From that peak altitude of 65 km, RLV-TD began its descent followed by atmospheric re-entry at around Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The vehicle's Navigation, Guidance and Control system accurately steered the vehicle during this phase for safe descent.

After successfully surviving a high temperatures of re-entry with the help of its Thermal Protection System (TPS), RLV-TD successfully glided down to the defined landing spot over Bay of Bengal, at a distance of about 450 km from Sriharikota, thereby fulfilling its mission objectives. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from ground stations at Sriharikota and a shipborne terminal.

Total flight duration from launch to landing of this mission of the delta winged RLV-TD, lasted for about 770 seconds.

In this flight, critical technologies such as autonomous navigation, guidance and control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management have been successfully validated.

ISRO acknowledge the support of Indian coast guard and National Institute of Ocean technology (NIOT) for the mid sea wind measurement and shipborne telemetry respectively in this mission.

posted 05-23-2016 04:15 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
The RLV-TD is a demo towards developing a reusable, two-stage launch vehicle.

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Weaponized hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) platforms are developed using the same approach.

posted 05-23-2016 04:29 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Cozmosis22:
Did this test article parachute to a water landing in the Bay of Bengal?

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