ISRO Successfully Tests Reusable Launch Vehicle ‘Pushpak’

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will successfully land its reusable launch vehicle (RLV) ‘Pushpak’ from the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Challakere, Karnataka on Friday.

The rocket was launched about 7 a.m. from the Chalakere Runway.

This was the RLV’s third landing mission, named after the legendary starship the Ramayan. Previous missions by the space agency were completed successfully in 2016 and April of last year.

An Indian Air Force helicopter carried the launch vehicle to an altitude of approximately 4.5 km before releasing it once the preset pillbox conditions were reached.

According to ISRO, the mission is part of the space agency’s efforts at “developing essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle to enable low-cost access to space.”

“The Pushpak launch vehicle is India's bold attempt to make access to space most affordable. 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 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,” ISRO chairperson S Somanath said, according to a media report.

The Pushpak RLV is a rocket-powered, totally reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle. It also includes key components including the X-33 advanced technology demonstrator, the X-34 testbed technology demonstrator, and the updated DC-XA flying demonstration.

According to ISRO, ‘Pushpak’ is made up of a fuselage (body), a nose cap, double delta wings and twin vertical tails. It also has symmetrically arranged active control surfaces known as Elevons and Rudder.