Avatar (spacecraft)

AVATAR
FunctionRobotic reusable spaceplane
Country of originIndia
Size
Mass25 t (55,000 lb) [1]
Stages1
Capacity
Payload to low Earth orbit
Mass1,000 kg (2,200 lb)
Launch history
StatusConcept study
First stage
Powered byturbo-ramjet, scramjet and cryogenic
PropellantLOX/LH2
[edit on Wikidata]

Avatar (Sanskrit: अवतार, ISO: Avatāra; from "Aerobic Vehicle for Transatmospheric Hypersonic Aerospace TrAnspoRtation") is a concept study for a robotic single-stage reusable spaceplane capable of horizontal takeoff and landing, by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation. The mission concept is for low cost military and commercial satellite space launches.[2][1][3]

This spaceplane concept is unrelated to ISRO's RLV Technology Demonstration Programme (RLV-TD).[4]

  1. ^ a b "India Eyes New Spaceplane Concept". Space Daily. New Delhi. August 8, 2001. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
  2. ^ "Indian Scientists unveils space plane Avatar in US". Gujarat Science City. 10 July 2001. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
  3. ^ "AVATAR- Hyper Plane to be built by INDIA". India's Military and Civilian Technological Advancements. December 19, 2011.
  4. ^ "Government of India Department of Space" (PDF). March 14, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-27. Feasibility study of project "AVATAR)" has been done by a group of scientists in DRDO. ISRO has no connection with the project.