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Isro to conduct second landing test of reusable launch vehicle Pushpak


Ajay0

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The Indian Space Research Organisation is gearing up to conduct the second landing test of the Reusable Launch Vehicle, Pushpak.

https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/isro-to-conduct-second-landing-test-of-reusable-launch-vehicle-pushpak-2514143-2024-03-13

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The Indian space agency is working to develop essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle to enable low-cost access to space as it plans to build a space station by 2035. Sources in Isro confirmed that the landing test could happen by the end of this month.

With advanced supercomputer simulations and the development of heat-resistant materials for protecting the spacecraft from high temperatures during atmospheric re-entry by the National Aerospace Laboratory and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), RLV went for its maiden flight in 2016.

The successful autonomous landing mission conducted on April 2, 2023, marked a critical milestone for the Pushpak RLV, bringing it closer to achieving orbital re-entry capabilities. This experiment demonstrated the vehicle's ability to perform high-speed, unmanned, precise landings, simulating conditions similar to those experienced during space re-entry.

The reusable launch vehicle promises to revolutionise the sector by slashing launch costs by nearly 80%, thereby making space exploration more accessible and sustainable.

 

 
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Pushpak was successfully tested this morning, and its performance was found to be "excellent and precise".

https://www.ndtv.com/science/isro-successfully-lands-pushpak-indias-first-reusable-launch-vehicle-5287362

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"The winged vehicle, called Pushpak, was lifted by an Indian Airforce Chinook helicopter, and was released from 4.5 km altitude. After release at distance of 4km from the runway, Pushpak autonomously approached the runway along with cross range corrections. It landed precisely on the runway and came to a halt using its brake parachute, landing gear brakes and nose wheel steering system," it said in a statement.

The experiment was the third flight of Pushpak, part of a test of its robotic landing ability in more complicated circumstances. It is expected to take many more years to deploy Pushpak operationally

"The Pushpak launch vehicle is India's bold attempt to make access to space most affordable," Mr Somanath had earlier asserted.

"It is India's futuristic Reusable Launch Vehicle, where the most expensive part, the upper stage, which houses all the expensive electronics, is made reusable by bringing it back safely back to Earth. Later, it could even do refuelling of in-orbit satellites or retrieving satellites from orbit for refurbishment. India seeks to minimise space debris and Pushpak is one step towards that as well," he had said.

 

 

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Decoding India's Reusable Launch Vehicle, Pushpak Viman

https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/isro-rlv-pushpak-viman-space-access-satellite-launch-landing-test-2520904-2024-03-30

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The Pushpak mission is part of Isro's broader strategy to develop a fully reusable launch vehicle, which could slash the current costs of space access by a staggering 80%.

Currently, launching a kilogram of payload into space can cost between $12,000 and $15,000. The vision is to reduce this to $500 - $1,000 per kilogram, employing a two-fold approach: making systems recoverable and reusable, and adopting more efficient propulsion systems, such as air-breathing rockets.

The experiment was designed to test the vehicle's ability to handle off-nominal conditions — that is, scenarios that deviate from the expected path. Pushpak was released with induced anomalies to evaluate the robustness of its navigation, control, and guidance mechanisms. Pushpak successfully demonstrated its ability to autonomously course correct and land.

These technologies include state-of-the-art navigation systems, a pseudolite system acting as a ground-based GPS alternative, a Ka-band radar altimeter for precise altitude measurements, an indigenous NavIC receiver, and an innovative landing gear system.

Additionally, the mission used aerofoil honey-comb fins and a brake parachute system for controlled descent and landing.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

The RLV-LEX-02 experiment  was built upon the success of the RLV-LEX-01 mission last year, involved more challenging maneuvers and dispersions, requiring the vehicle to correct both cross-range and downrange deviations before landing autonomously on the runway as per ISRO.
 

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/pushpak-viman-lands-successfully-how-isros-new-launch-vehicle-can-pave-the-way-for-affordable-space-exploration/articleshow/108696838.cms?from=mdr

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The mission, accomplished by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) along with the Liquid Propulsion System Centre (LPSC) and the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), builds on the success of the RLV-LEX-01 mission. In this latest mission, the winged body and all flight systems used in RLV-LEX-01 were reused after due certification/clearances, demonstrating the reuse capability of flight hardware and flight systems.

Based on observations from RLV-LEX-01, the airframe structure and landing gear were strengthened to tolerate higher landing loads. ISRO chairman S Somanath congratulated the team for the flawless execution of this complex mission.

VSSC Director Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair highlighted that through this repeated success, ISRO has mastered terminal phase maneuvering, landing, and energy management in a fully autonomous mode, which is a critical step towards the future.

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

ISRO is set for the final RLV landing experiment, which is considered to be a major fillip for Reusable Launch Vehicle programme forward

https://www.firstpost.com/tech/isro-set-for-final-rlv-landing-experiment-major-fillip-for-reusable-launch-vehicle-programme-forward-13780955.html

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is poised to take a significant step forward in its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) programme with the third and final landing experiment (RLV LEX). The mission aims to further ISRO’s efforts towards developing cost-effective and efficient space travel technologies.

ISRO has already demonstrated success with the first two LEX missions. The LEX-01 mission was successfully conducted on April 2, 2023, followed by LEX-02 on March 22, 2024. These missions have laid the groundwork for the more advanced and challenging LEX-03 mission.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

 

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Pushpak was tested a third time successfully in more challenging and demanding conditions .

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2024/Jun/24/third-final-landing-of-pushpak-gives-wings-to-isro

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At 7.10 am, the winged vehicle successfully conducted the third and final Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing Experiment (LEX). The RLV LEX-03 mission demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of the RLV under more challenging release and severe wind conditions. The vehicle, Pushpak, was released from an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter at an altitude of 4.5 km.

Pushpak autonomously executed cross-range correction manoeuvres, approached the runway, and performed a precise horizontal landing at the runway centreline.

“With the objectives of RLV-LEX accomplished, ISRO embarks into RLV-ORV, the orbital reusable vehicle,” ISRO posted on X.

Because of Pushpak’s low lift-to-drag ratio aerodynamic configuration, the landing velocity exceeded 320 kmph, compared to 260 kmph for a commercial aircraft and 280 kmph for a fighter jet.

VSSC Director S Unnikrishnan Nair said this consistent success bolsters ISRO’s confidence in critical technologies necessary for future orbital reentry missions. It simulated the approach and landing interface and high-speed landing conditions for a vehicle returning from space.

 

 

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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/isro-completes-reusable-launch-vehicle-technology-demonstrations-lex-trio-bengaluru-9409482/

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Interestingly, the third demonstration of Pushpak reused the winged body and flight systems from the second experiment without any modifications.

To bring down launch costs and to remain competitive, the reusable launch vehicle is designed to take satellites up to space and return and land on a runway like an aeroplane. Unlike the SpaceX vehicle that lands back vertically, to achieve the horizontal landing ISRO’s vehicle has wings to help it glide.

The space agency also said the aerodynamic design of the vehicle, which means a low drag on it when landing, led to the velocity exceeding 320 kmph on Sunday. For comparison, the velocity at landing for commercial planes is 260 kmph and for fighter planes it is 280 kmph. After touchdown, the vehicle’s velocity was reduced to nearly 100 kmph using its brake parachute. Then the landing gear brakes were deployed for further deceleration and stopping on the runway.

 

 

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