India Moves Closer to Own Reusable Rocket with ISRO’s Latest Drop Test

On Sunday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched and landed a reusable launch vehicle.

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The Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Experiment (RLV LEX) test mission was dropped from a helicopter and later managed to land safely using its wheels.

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The test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka, from 7.10 am to 7.40 am on April 2, 2023.

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The RLV-LEX was transported by a Chinook helicopter by the Indian Air Force, and the landing was executed horizontally.

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The RLV LEX, is classified as a space plane and looks a lot like the US's Space Shuttle and Russia's Buran reusable vehicle.

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The spacecraft was carried by a Chinook helicopter and was brought to an altitude of 4.6 kilometres (2.85 miles) before being dropped mid-air.

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Along with ISRO and the Air Force, several other entities contributed to this test.

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ISRO expects that the vehicle will one day reduce the launch payloads into orbit for just $4,000/kg.

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