 Technology Development Vehicle (TDV) for RLV Programme | |
| Program overview | |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Organization | ISRO |
| Programme history | |
| Duration | 2012–present[1] |
| First flight | 01:30 UTC, 23 May 2016 [2] |
| Last flight | March 2024 |
| Successes | 2 |
| Launch site(s) | |
| Vehicle information | |
| Launch vehicle(s) | GSLV Mark II |
Reusable Launch Vehicle–Technology Demonstration Programme is a series of technology demonstration missions that has been conceived by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a first step towards realising a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) reusable launch vehicle, in which the second stage is a spaceplane.[3]
For this purpose, a winged reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) has been configured. The RLV-TD acted as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies like powered cruise flight, hypersonic flight, and autonomous landing using air-breathing propulsion. Application of these technologies would bring down the launch cost by a factor of 10.[4] This project has no connection with the Avatar spaceplane concept by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation.[5]
- ^ "ISRO to Begin Flights of Reusable Launcher Test Bed".
- ^ "India's First-Ever Indigenous Space Shuttle RLV-TD Launched Successfully". Archived from the original on 2016-05-23. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- ^ "Indian Space Research Organisation to test its reusable RLV spacecraft". SpaceFlight Insider. 2 June 2015. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ "Tuesday, December 22, Isro's small steps towards developing its own reusable rocket [Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)] program". LIVE MINT, IN. 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-05-26. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
- ^ "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.