ISRO successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV-LEX-02). The test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka in the early hours on March 22, 2024 at 7:10 hrs IST, the first mission was conducted on April 2, 2023 also at 7:10 hrs IST.

RLV-LEX-02 demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of RLV from off-nominal initial conditions at release from a Helicopter.

This time the RLV was made to undertake more difficult manoeuvres with dispersions, correct both cross-range and downrange and land on the runway in a fully autonomous mode. The winged vehicle, called Pushpak, was lifted by an IAF Chinook heavy-lift chopper and was released from 4.5 km altitude. After release at a distance of 4 km from the runway, Pushpak autonomously approached the runway along with cross-range corrections. It landed precisely on the runway and came to a halt using its brake parachute, landing gear brakes and nose wheel steering system.

This mission simulated the approach and high-speed landing conditions of RLV returning from space. With this second mission, ISRO has re-validated the indigenously developed technologies in the areas of navigation, control systems, landing gear and deceleration systems essential for performing a high-speed autonomous landing of a space returning vehicle, The winged body and all flight system used in RLV-LEX-01 flight were reused in the RLV-LEX-02 mission as well after due certification/clearances. Hence, re-use capability of flight hardware and flight system was also demonstrated in this mission Based on the observations from the earlier mission, the airframe structure and landing gear were strengthened to tolerate high landing loads.

Director VSSC Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair said on the success of landing experiment that through this repeated success, ISRO could mast the terminal phase manoeuvring, landing and energy management in a fully autonomous mode, which is a critical step towards the future Orbital Re-Entry Missions.

ISRO Chief S Somanath congratulated the team for the flawless execution of this complex mission. 

ISRO