US-Iran war CJP protest in Delhi US-Saudi nuclear deal Commonwealth Games 2026 Wildfires in Europe

ISRO to follow in Elon Musk's footsteps, build world's first fully-reusable rockets

ISRO plans to recover both stages of the launch vehicle, which no space agency has attempted yet.

Tech2 News Staff|Jan 16, 2019, 17:50:54 IST

SpaceX has got a huge fanbase and lots of praise for a total of 38 successful landings of its Falcon 9 reusable boosters out of 49 attempts.These landings are, undoubtedly, one of the most satisfying sights for rocketry buffs.

The Indian Space Research Organisation could soon bring twice the joy, upping the ante by building a launch vehicle with not just one reusable component, but two. This would make the entire two-stage rocket suitable for multiple launch missions, according to a Times of India report.ISRO will conduct early trials of this technology in June or July this year, the report said.The first demonstration of the rocket's concept was tested on 23 May 2016, when ISRO carried out its 'Hypersonic Flight Experiment' of a two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO), fully-reusable rocket.[caption id="attachment_5907821" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

An illustration showing the different stages in the RLV technology demonstration, from launch to landing of both stages. Image: ISRO[/caption]The demo was a success, with the rocket launching at an altitude of 70 kilometers, and manoeuvered back to Earth and into the Indian Ocean, where it disintegrated. This was a successful test of one of the four technologies that ISRO intends to incorporate int0 the final developmental version of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (called the RLV-Technology Demonstrator):

hypersonic flight, tested in the hypersonic flight experiment (HEX) in 2016
autonomous landing, to be tested in the landing experiment (LEX) in 2019
powered cruise flight,
hypersonic flight with air-breathing propulsion, to be tested in the scramjet propulsion experiment (SPEX)

To recover the first stage, ISRO will use a similar principle to SpaceX's Falcon 9 boosters, whereby the rocket is programmed to land on a pad in the sea after launch.For the second stage of the rocket, ISRO plans to test an advanced version of the RLV tested in 2016 in an advanced test in June or July 2019. The rocket will be controlled by ISRO engineers after launch to land on an airstrip, after which it will be used again for a second launch.[caption id="attachment_5907831" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

An illustration of the RLV-TD concept. Image: ISRO[/caption]"We are developing a winged body like a space shuttle. This shuttle will be attached to as a second stage in the rocket. It will carry the top portion of the rocket, comprising a satellite or spacecraft, to space," ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan told ToI."Once it injects the satellite in its orbit, the shuttle will glide back to the earth and land on an airstrip like an aircraft."Sivan added that recovering the second stage is something no other space agency has attempted before – not even SpaceX.Unlike the 2016 experiment, the second demonstration of the technology this year will use a helicopter to carry the winged rocket to a certain altitude. From that height, the rocket will be dropped and steered by engineers to attempt a landing on an airstrip, much like a regular airplane would.The airstrip will likely be in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, but no final decisions have been made about it yet, according to the report.Compared to the massive share that SpaceX holds (roughly 50 percent) of the international launch vehicle market as of 2018 – largely thanks to its reusable launch vehicle technology – ISRO can only claim around 0.6 percent.With the market expected to grow by $7 billion by 2024, ISRO is guaranteed to get a bigger bite of the juicy RLV apple if it masters the technology soon enough.

Careless Whispers: Scientists discover that plants can 'talk' to each other using smells

Japanese scientists have recorded a video that shows plants, in certain conditions, communicate with each other using mists that carry smells. The discovery, reveals that plants release a fine mist of airborne compounds, to warn nearby plants of potential dangers

Life on Mars? European Space Agency’s Orbiter discovers ice water deposits at equator

European Space Agency's Mars Express Orbiter has identified massive ice and ice water deposits beneath the surface of Mars. The Mars Express orbiter was also the first to confirmed the presence of ice on Mars in 2004

Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple as the most valuable company, Apple back on top again

At its peak during the session, Microsoft's value reached $2.903 trillion, with a 2% surge. As of writing this article, Apple closed at $2.89 trillion, whereas Microsoft closed at $2.86 trillion

Even NASA is facing a tough time, starts layoffs following major budget cuts

NASA is facing some massive budget cuts, because of which, it has been forced to postpone some upcoming missions. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been hit hard by recent federal budget cuts, resulting in the layoff of 100 contractors last week

ISRO, NASA's NISAR satellite to get ready by Jan-end, will monitor Earth's snow-covered regions

The NISAR satellite which has been developed jointly ISRO and NASA, should be ready for launch by the end of January 2024. The collaboration between NASA and ISRO on NISAR is the first time the two agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission

Up Next