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.
India's experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin achieved a major achievement during the fourth Te
There is a continuous decline in the cases of corona in the country. In the last 24 hours, 3,325
Team India's coaching staff will be in the hands of VVS Laxman during the tour of Ireland
After the ongoing five-match T20 International series against South Africa, Team India has to pla
Is India vs China the biggest conflict of the 21st century ?
If we look at the first six-seven months of the year 2020, the violent skirmish between the soldi
The 'Black Lives Matter movement started in America about two years ago to end apartheid. Researc
Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, who is on a visit to India, was formally we
CP Radhakrishnan took the oath as Vice President on Friday. President Draupadi Murmu administered
Be careful if you want to go by helicopter to see Shri Mata Vaishno. You can also be a victim of
Rajnath happy over Vajpayee getting Bharat Ratna
New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday expressed happiness at former
Preparations for action against Pakistan? NSA Ajit Doval met PM Modi for the second time in 24 hours
Tensions between India and Pakistan continue after the attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Mea
