ISRO’s Pushpak Viman, the nation’s first Reusable Launch Car. The Pushpak was developed with a price range of simply Rs 100 crore. Picture Credit score: ISRO
The Indian Area Analysis Organisation (ISRO) achieved a big milestone on Friday because it efficiently carried out the touchdown mission of its Reusable Launch Car (RLV) named ‘Pushpak’ from the Aeronautical Take a look at Vary (ATR) in Challakere close to Karnataka’s Chitradurga. The launch was attended by ISRO chairman S Somanath and different senior officers.
“ISRO nails it once more! Pushpak (RLV-TD), the winged automobile, landed autonomously with precision on the runway after being launched from an off-nominal place,” the house organisation posted on X.
“The winged automobile, referred to as Pushpak, was lifted by an Indian Airforce Chinook helicopter and was launched from 4.5 km altitude. After launch at a distance of 4km from the runway, Pushpak autonomously approached the runway together with cross-range corrections. It landed exactly on the runway and got here to a halt utilizing its brake parachute, touchdown gear brakes and nostril wheel steering system,” ISRO mentioned in an announcement.
This experiment marked the third flight of Pushpak, a part of a sequence of checks aimed toward refining its robotic touchdown capabilities beneath extra advanced situations. Whereas the operational deployment of Pushpak continues to be years away, this achievement underscores India’s bold efforts to make entry to house extra inexpensive, as highlighted by Mr. Somanath.
The Pushpak launch automobile represents India’s pioneering endeavour to revolutionize house entry, and its profitable touchdown marks one other step ahead on this journey. This venture, which has been in growth for over a decade, noticed a big breakthrough in April final 12 months when Pushpak demonstrated autonomous touchdown capabilities after being launched from an Indian Air Pressure Chinook helicopter. This accomplishment introduced Pushpak nearer to attaining its aim of orbital re-entry capabilities.
With an funding of about Rs 100 crore, the Pushpak venture not solely showcases India’s technological prowess but additionally lays the groundwork for future missions, together with the bold imaginative and prescient of creating the Bhartiya Antariksha Station by 2035.
Throughout Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current go to to the Vikram Sarabhai Area Centre, he was briefed by Somanath on the progress of the Pushpak automobile. The journey of the RLV spacecraft started in January 2012 when its design was accredited by the Nationwide Assessment Committee. Subsequently, the primary prototype, named RLV-TD (Expertise Demonstrator), was developed.
By way of superior supercomputer simulations and the collaboration of establishments just like the Nationwide Aerospace Laboratory and the Defence Analysis and Improvement Organisation (DRDO), important strides have been made in growing heat-resistant supplies to guard the spacecraft throughout atmospheric re-entry. The maiden flight of RLV came about in 2016, marking a big milestone in India’s house exploration journey.
(With inputs from businesses)
