New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) India will conduct a test flight of a reusable launch vehicle by the second quarter of this year to reduce the cost of satellite launches, union minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, the minister of state for department of space said the rocket's 1.5-tonne technology demonstrator would be lofted to a height of 70 km using solid booster to attain five times the speed of sound.
"The reusable launch vehicle's technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) will descend by gliding and splashing down into the sea. The test flight will demonstrate the hypersonic aerodynamics characteristics, avionics system, thermal protection system, control system and mission management," Singh told the lawmakers.
The state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has taken steps to develop the next generation launch vehicle GSLV MkIII for placing four-tonne class communication satellites into geo-synchronous transfer orbit and bring down the cost of satellite launches.
"Developing reusable rockets is a challenge, as it involves many cutting-edge technologies. The magnitude of cost reduction depends on the development and realisation of fully reusable launch vehicle and its degree of reusability," Singh added.
The space agency had conducted the maiden test flight of GSLV MkIII on December 18, 2014 with a crew module from its spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km northeast of Chennai.
Five minutes after the launch, the heavy rocket ejected the 3.7-tonne crew module at a height of 126 km for its re-entry into the earth's atmosphere and descent in the Bay of Bengal near Andaman and Nicobar islands.
new Delhi. A public curfew has been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 March. In vie
The chiefs of the US and UK intelligence agencies FBI and MI5 have warned about China. He said th
YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT winner Elvish Yadav has received significant relief from the Supreme C
Pak captain Babar Azam remained uninhabited against West Indies on Sunday. He got out on a person
India has so far shipped over 40,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan, ensuring its status a
Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the best spinners India has ever produced. His statistics testify t
Retail prices of tomatoes have now touched Rs 120 a kg in some parts of the country due to scorch
Investors Turn Cautious on Small and Mid-Cap Assets; Here's Where Safer Returns May Be Found
Recent volatility in the equity market has prompted many investors to reconsider their investment
Indian team's star batsman Virat Kohli is facing criticism. He scored a century in the Perth Test
The Government of India on Sunday filed a draft of documents (DRHP) with capital markets regulato
