After the successful first landing experiment LEX-01 of Pushpak (RLV-TD), the ISRO is gearing up to conduct the second landing test of the RLV

ISRO to Conduct Second Landing Experiment of Pushpak: After the successful first landing experiment LEX-01 of Pushpak (RLV-TD), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to conduct the second landing test of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), also dubbed as ‘Pushpak’ this week. As per the information, the second landing experiment LEX-02 of Pushpak (RLV-TD) is now expected to take place this week, confirms the ISRO Spaceflight on its X handle.

The Indian space agency, which is on its much anticipated mission to bring into existence an Indian space station by 2035, is working to develop essential technologies for a completely reusable launch vehicle to enable low-cost access to space.

Chinook Helicopter Will Be Used To Carry Out The Test

According to the sources, the ISRO is preparing to conduct the test successfully.

It is being said that once again the Chinook helicopter will be used to carry out the test. However, unlike before, when the RLV-TD was aligned with the runway before it was dropped from the Chinook, this time, Chinook will take a detour and the RLV will have to make turns on its own to align itself with the runway.

The information was shared by the ISRO Spaceflight on X handle, saying, “The second landing experiment LEX-02 of Pushpak/RLV-TD is now expected to take place this week!! In LEX-01, RLV-TD was aligned with the runway when it was dropped from the Chinook. But this time, Chinook will take a detour & RLV will have to make turns to align itself.”

First Landing Experiment Was Conducted Successfully

ISRO, in a step closer to having its own ‘space shuttle’ or reusable space vehicle, had carried out the successful completion of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) in April last year. The test of the Reusable Launch Vehicle RLV LEX, an autonomous winged spaceplane, was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range in Karnataka’s Chitradurga.

The RLV LEX resembles the space shuttles operated by US space agency NASA for 3 decades before retiring them in 2011. It is a space aircraft with wings that can land like a regular aircraft after returning from space. RLV is essentially a space plane with a low lift-to-drag ratio requiring an approach at high glide angles that necessitates a landing at high velocities of 350 kmph.

(With Agency Inputs)