Isro plans orbital re-entry test for re-usable vehicle

BENGALURU: Isro is set to follow up the successful tests of the re-usable launch vehicle technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) with a major experiment, though the immediate priority is the Chandrayaan-II mission slated for an October launch. It has completed the wind tunnel model with landing gear and low subsonic tests at the IIT-Kanpur.
In the next phase, Isro has proposed to design and develop a scaled-up version of RLV and carry out an orbital re-entry experiment.
“Site has been identified for the experiment and configuring landing runway with navigational aids for an autonomous descent. For unmanned landing, navigational aids and associated systems have to be established,” scientists working on the project said.
Isro chief K Sivan, while confirming there are multiple experiments of RLV-TD in the pipeline, said: “That will happen only next year. This year, our focus is on various other missions.”