With the successful completion of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) by India's space agency, the country has taken another step towards developing its own reusable launch vehicle or reusable rocket.
The test was carried out in the early hours of April 2, 2023 at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka.
The RLV-TD was dropped from a height of 4.5 km by an Indian Air Force (IAF) Chinook chopper for an autonomous landing on a runway.
ISRO said, “The RLV took off at 7:10 a.m. by a Chinook helicopter of the IAF as an underslung load and flew at a height of 4.5 km. Once the predetermined pillbox parameters were attained, based on the RLV’s Mission Management and Computer Command, the RLV was released mid-air at a downrange of 4.6 km."
RLV then executed approach and landing manoeuvres utilising the integrated navigation, guidance, and control system before landing autonomously on the ATR airstrip at 7:40 a.m. IST.
In May 2016, ISRO tested the re-entry of their winged vehicle RLV-TD in the HEX mission. The re-entry of a hypersonic sub-orbital vehicle was a significant achievement in the development of reusable rockets.