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 veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin surprised everyone by suddenly retiring on Wednesday.
Do this setting in WhatsApp, no one will be able to read your chat and data will be safe
Many types of news are coming out these days about the social media site WhatsApp. WhatsApp had t
Sharmaji Namkeen Review: Life should be salty, not spicy, Rishi Kapoor taught the world as he went
The film 'Sharmaji Namkeen' has a different place in the films and web series released or release
Mukesh Ambani, the head of Reliance Industries, has bought the most expensive property ever in Du
Following the orders of US President Donald Trump, 104 Indians have been deported to Amritsar by
The 22nd Commonwealth Games is starting on 28 July in Birmingham. India's 213 players will partic
The country is increasingly vaccinated during the Corona epidemic. Union Minister Prakash Javadek
Migrant workers struggle to live
Saurabh Kumar, who works as a plumber in Dehradun, about 175 km from his home, has no work to rep
A senior US lawmaker says that for democracy, technological development, and a strong economic sy
Weather Forecast: Signs of severe heat in Delhi-NCR, 77-year record may be broken in 10 days
The heat in the entire North of India along with the cities of Delhi and NCR has gradually starte
