The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Sunday successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX).
The national space agency said the test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka. ISRO conducted the experiment in collaboration with the Air Force and the Defense Space Research Organisation.
On the successful conduct of the landing mission, ISRO took to Twitter and said “India achieved it!”
“India achieved it! @DRDO_India ISRO associated with @IAF_MCC successfully conducted Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) at Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga. Karnataka Early morning on 2nd April, 2023,” the tweet read.
India 🇮🇳 achieved it! ISRO joined @DRDO_India @IAF_MCCSuccessfully conducted Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX)
At the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka in the early hours of April 2, 2023.
— ISRO (@isro) April 2, 2023
ISRO successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX). The test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka in the early hours of April 2, 2023.
According to an ISRO press release, the RLV was lifted off at 7:10 am by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter as an ‘underslung load’ and flew to an altitude of 4.5 km (above MSL).
“Once the predetermined pillbox parameters were achieved based on the mission management computer command of the RLV, the RLV was released in mid-air to a down range of 4.6 km,” the press release said.
“The release conditions included 10 parameters covering position, velocity, height and rate of the body etc. The release of RLV was autonomous. The RLV then performed approach and landing maneuvers using the integrated navigation, guidance and control system and completed an autonomous landing on the ATR airstrip at 7:40 AM IST. With this, ISRO successfully achieved the autonomous landing of the spacecraft,” it added.
‘state-of-the-art technologies’
ISRO said the landing of the Space Re-entry Vehicle—a high-speed, unmanned, autonomous landing—was carried out under exact landing conditions from the same return path as the vehicle comes from space.
“Landing parameters such as ground relative velocity, sink rate of landing gears and accurate body rates as experienced by an orbital re-entry space vehicle can be obtained,” ISRO said.
The space agency said the RLV LEX demanded a number of “state-of-the-art technologies” including precision navigation hardware and software, pseudolight system, ‘Ka-band’ radar altimeter, ‘NavIC’ receiver, indigenous landing gear, aerofoil honey-comb. Wings and brake parachute system.
first time in the world
For the first time in the world, ISRO said, a winged body has been carried by a helicopter to an altitude of 4.5 km and released to perform an autonomous landing on the runway.
According to ISRO, the RLV is essentially a “space aircraft with a low lift to drag ratio, which requires an approach at high glide angles, which requires landing at a high velocity of 350 kmph”. .
Several indigenous systems were used in the landing experiment, ISRO said, including the localized navigation system based on the pseudolight system, instrumentation and sensor systems etc developed by it.
“Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the landing site with Ka-band radar altimeter provides accurate elevation information. Extensive wind tunnel tests and CFD simulations enabled aerodynamic characterization of the RLV prior to flight. The adaptation of contemporary technologies developed for RLV LEX makes ISRO’s other operational launch vehicles more cost-effective,” ISRO said.
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