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Updated April 2nd, 2023 at 11:32 IST

ISRO Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission successful

According to the space agency, the RLV took off at 7:10 am on Sunday by a Chinook Helicopter of the IAF as an underslung load and flew to a height of 4.5km

Reported by: Ajay Sharma
ISRO
Image: ISRO | Image:self
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In a historic endeavour, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Karnataka's Chitradurga on early Sunday morning (April 2). 

According to the space agency, the RLV took off at 7:10 am on Sunday by a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force as an underslung load and flew to a height of 4.5 km (above MSL). After the predetermined pillbox parameters were attained, the RLV was released in mid-air, at a down range of 4.6 km. 

"The release of RLV was autonomous. RLV then performed approach and landing manoeuvres using the Integrated Navigation, Guidance & control system and completed an autonomous landing on the ATR airstrip at 7:40 AM," ISRO said in a statement. Notably, with this, the Indian space agency has successfully achieved the autonomous landing of a space vehicle. 

ISRO's historic mission

Detailing about the landing of RLV, the agency said, "The autonomous landing was carried out under the exact conditions of a Space Re-entry vehicle's landing-high speed, unmanned, precise landing from the same return path as if the vehicle arrives from space."

Notably, the RLV LEX demanded several state-of-the-art technologies including accurate Navigation hardware and software, a Pseudolite system, Ka-band Radar Altimeter, a NavIC receiver, indigenous Landing Gear, Aerofoil honey-comb fins and brake parachute system.

This mission also marks the first in the world where a winged body has been carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by helicopter and released for carrying out an autonomous landing on a runway. 

About RLV LEX

According to ISRO, RLV is essentially a space plane with a low lift-to-drag ratio requiring an approach at high glide angles that necessitated a landing at high velocities of 350 kmph. While the LEX utilised several indigenous systems. "Localised Navigation systems based on pseudolite systems, instrumentation, and sensor systems, etc. were developed by ISRO. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the landing site with a Ka-band Radar Altimeter provided accurate altitude information," the statement said.

"Adaptation of contemporary technologies developed for RLV LEX turns other operational launch vehicles of ISRO more cost-effective," the space agency said.

It is pertinent to mention that ISRO demonstrated the re-entry of its winged vehicle RLV-TD in the HEX mission in May 2016. However, the precise landing on a runway was an aspect not included in the HEX mission. The LEX mission achieved the final approach phase that coincided with the re-entry return flight path exhibiting an autonomous, high-speed (350 kmph) landing, the space agency said. 

Notably, the LEX began with an Integrated Navigation test in 2019 and followed multiple Engineering Model Trials and Captive Phase tests in subsequent years.

"Along with ISRO, IAF, CEMILAC, ADE, and ADRDE contributed to this test. The IAF team hand in hand with the Project team and multiple sorties were conducted to perfect the achievement of release conditions," the statement added.

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Published April 2nd, 2023 at 09:41 IST

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