Context:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the third and final Reusable Launch Vehicle Landing Experiment (RLV LEX-03) for the Pushpak vehicle.
Relevance:
GS III: Science and Technology
Dimensions of the Article:
- RLV LEX-03 Mission Overview
- Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs)
RLV LEX-03 Mission Overview
Mission Summary:
- Deployment and Release: The Pushpak vehicle was launched from an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter at an altitude of 4.5 kilometers.
- Autonomous Landing: The vehicle autonomously executed cross-range corrections, approached the runway, and made a precise horizontal landing at the centerline.
- Controlled Descent: The high-speed descent, exceeding 320 km/h, was successfully reduced to around 100 km/h using the vehicle’s brake parachute and landing gear brakes.
Technologies and Capabilities Demonstrated:
- Multisensor Guidance: LEX-03 employed multisensor fusion for controlled landing guidance.
- Self-Landing Capability: The Pushpak vehicle showcased its capability to land autonomously, including course corrections during its descent.
- Component Reuse: The mission reused key components from a previous flight, emphasizing the cost-saving potential of reusable launch vehicles (RLVs).
Significance:
- Simulated Conditions: This mission simulated the approach and landing conditions, as well as high-speed descent scenarios, for a vehicle returning from space.
- Algorithm Validation: It validated ISRO’s advanced guidance algorithms for longitudinal and lateral error corrections, essential for future orbital re-entry missions.
- Technological Progress: By testing technologies such as autonomous landing and reusable parts, this mission paves the way for fully reusable launch vehicles, potentially reducing launch costs and increasing space mission efficiency.
Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs)
Definition:
- Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) are rockets designed for multiple uses in space missions, unlike traditional expendable rockets where each stage is discarded after use.
Operational Mechanics:
- Multi-Stage Rockets: In a typical multi-stage rocket, the first stage is jettisoned after fuel consumption to lighten the load, while the remaining stages continue to propel the payload into orbit.
- Recovery and Reuse: RLVs recover and reuse the first stage, which uses engines or parachutes to descend and land back on Earth. This stage can be refurbished for future launches, significantly cutting costs.
Current Usage:
- SpaceX (USA): Falcon 9, with over 220 launches, 178 landings, and 155 re-flights as of May 2023.
- Blue Origin (USA): New Shepard conducts suborbital flights and lands vertically.
- JAXA (Japan) and ESA (Europe): Engaged in research on reusable launch systems to lower space access costs.
- ISRO (India): Developed the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD) and successfully conducted a landing.
-Source: The Hindu
