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.
Businessman Vijay Mallya is in the headlines these days. Soon the wedding bells will ring in his
Covid-19: Central Government may announce another economic package in view of the economy
The central government may once again announce another package of fiscal, monetary and policy mea
Covid Vaccination: The corona vaccination campaign is going on fast in the country. Meanwhile, to
Afghanistan's caretaker PM, in his first address, accused Ghani of embezzlement, pleaded for help
In his first public address on Saturday, Afghanistan's caretaker Prime Minister Muhammad Hassan A
Chinese scientists now claim this big claim regarding Coronavirus's Wuhan connection
Beijing: America has been continuously attacking China with the Coronavirus. China has been vigor
The Indian government bought spy software Pegasus from the Israeli company NSO Group in 2017. Thi
When the Indian team plays the third ODI against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, it will try to forget th
Government will announce relief package within 2-3 days, Nitin Gadkari hinted
new Delhi. In order to give relief to industries in the wake of COVID-19 Crisis, the Central Gove
'Discover North East Yatra' ends
Agartala, March 11 (IANS) The first ever nine-month-long cultural extravaganza, the "Discover N
Europe Lifts Ban on Indian Mangoes
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) The European Commission (EC) has lifted the ban on the import of Indi
