Sriharikotla: The third landing experiment of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV LEX-03), also known as “Pushpak,” was completed on Sunday by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). In a statement, the space agency said that the test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka, at 07:30 IST.
“ISRO’s hat trick in RLV LEX! On June 23, 2024, ISRO completed the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing Experiment (LEX) with its third (and last) successive success. “Pushpak” made a precise horizontal landing to show off its advanced autonomous capabilities in challenging conditions. After accomplishing the goals of RLV-LEX, ISRO launches the orbital reusable vehicle, RLV-ORV,” ISRO wrote on X.
ISRO’s Chairman, S. Somanath, commended the team for their dedication to continuing their successful run of “complex missions.” For this mission, B. Karthik is the vehicle director, and J. Muthupandian is the mission director.
This mission demonstrated ISRO’s capability in obtaining critical technologies for the construction of reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) by simulating the approach, landing interface, and high-speed landing conditions for a spacecraft reentering space. The mission validated the intricate guiding system—which is critical for future orbital re-entry missions—that manages error corrections in the longitudinal and lateral planes.
The RLV LEX-03 mission builds on the achievements of its predecessors, the RLV LEX-01 and LEX-02 flights, by showcasing the RLV’s capacity to land autonomously in more difficult circumstances. At a height of 4.5 kilometers, the Indian Air Force’s Chinook helicopter deployed the winged vehicle, known as “Pushpak.” From a release point 4.5 kilometers from the runway, Pushpak autonomously performed cross-range corrective procedures, approaching and landing precisely at the runway centerline.
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