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.
North India is boiling with the fire raining from the sky. The mercury in Churu, Rajasthan has cr
Compared to the average rate at which India buys crude oil from the international market, crude f
On Friday, 2 lakh 67 thousand 331 new corona infections were found in the country. 1 lakh 22 thou
26/11 Mumbai Attacks: Before the 15th anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, Israel has tak
Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was attacked with a knife during an attempted burglary at his Bandr
Kannada superstar Yash's highly anticipated film 'Toxic' is getting embroiled in one controversy
This time in the winter session of Parliament, there was a lot of commotion between the ruling pa
Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi has threatened America to avenge the death of General Qasim Soleim
The schedule of IPL 2025 has been revealed. The 17th season of IPL is to start on 22 March 2025,
Governor Salima Mazari, the brave lady of Afghanistan, who took up arms to combat the Taliban, is
