Editorial: Desi space shuttle

The successful conduct of Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission by ISRO is a significant milestone

India has moved a step closer to developing its own space shuttle. The successful conduct of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is a significant milestone in its journey towards the goal to send reusable rockets into space. The technique adopted to launch the vehicle was a first in the world where a winged body was carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by helicopter and released for carrying an autonomous landing on a runway. The space agency used a scaled-down version of the RLV technology demonstrator (RLV—TD). The actual vehicle will be 1.6 times larger. The RLV is essentially a space plane with a low lift-to-drag ratio, requiring an approach at high glide angles that necessitates a landing at high velocities of 350 kmph. Mastering this technology will help in the development of different types of launch vehicles for space transportation. An important aspect of the successful experiment was that the landing was carried out under the exact conditions of a space re-entry vehicle’s high-speed, unmanned, precise landing from the same return path as if the vehicle arrived from space. The mission utilised several indigenous systems, localised navigation, instrumentation and sensor systems developed by ISRO. To accomplish the RLV LEX, several cutting-edge technologies were necessary, including accurate navigation hardware and software, a Ka-band Radar Altimeter, indigenous landing gear and a brake parachute system. More experiments are in the pipeline to ensure that the RLV succeeds in payload delivery to low earth orbit, as ISRO plans to reduce the cost of the process by 80%.

The year, packed with important space developments, certainly belongs to India, particularly in the commercial satellite launch sector. By successfully launching 36 OneWeb internet satellites on the heaviest rocket — the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle-mark 3 (GSLV-Mk3) — recently, India has firmly established its reputation as a dependable player in the commercial satellite market. OneWeb, a joint venture between India’s Bharti Global and the UK government, plans to deliver global internet coverage including India. The satellites, now placed in orbit successfully, will enable broadband-from-space services for communities, governments and enterprises, besides for distribution partners. The success of the commercial launch will position ISRO as a leading service provider for companies trying to launch their satellites. India has been focusing its efforts on increasing its share of the global commercial space market ever since the country decided to open up the space sector to private players in 2020. Despite being the world’s major space-faring nation, it has only 2% of the commercial market at present. The government plans to increase this share to 10% by 2030 through commercial launches by ISRO and launches offered by private companies like Skyroot and Agnikul, which are in the process of developing their own launch vehicles.

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