Context: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted landing experiment of Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstration (RLV – TD) programme.
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For the first time in the world, a winged body has been carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by a helicopter (Chinook) and released for carrying out an autonomous landing on a runway. The release of the RLV was autonomous, as it performed approach and landing manoeuvres using Integrated Navigation, Guidance and Control System and completed the landing on the airstrip.
RLV – TD
ISRO’s RLV-TD is a technology demonstrator for a fully reusable launch vehicle, featuring hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, and powered cruise flight technologies. It has a winged aircraft-like configuration with a fuselage, double delta wings, twin vertical tails, and active control surfaces. It was boosted to Mach no: 5 by a solid booster and will be scaled up to become India’s first stage of a reusable two-stage orbital launch vehicle.
Objectives of RLV – TD
- Hypersonic aero thermodynamic characterisation of wing body
- Evaluation of autonomous Navigation, Guidance and Control (NGC) schemes
- Integrated flight management
- Thermal Protection System Evaluation
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- It is the space agency of India which is involved in science, engineering and technology to harvest the benefits of outer space for India and the mankind.
- ISRO was previously the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), set up by the Government of India in 1962, as envisioned by Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai.
- ISRO was formed on August 15, 1969 and superseded INCOSPAR with an expanded role to harness space technology.
- Department of Space (DOS) was set up and ISRO was brought under DOS in 1972.
- ISRO has its headquarters in Bengaluru.
- The activities of ISRO are guided by its Chairman, who would also be the secretary of DOS and Chairman of Space commission – the apex body that formulates the policies and overseas the implementation of the Indian Space Programme.
| Centres & Units of ISRO | Activities |
| Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram | Building of Launch Vehicles |
| U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru | Development and designing of Satellites |
| Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota | Integration and launching of satellites and launch vehicles |
| Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala & Bengaluru | Development of liquid stages including cryogenic stage |
| Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad | Sensors for Communication and Remote Sensing satellites and application aspects of the space technology |
| National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad. | Remote Sensing satellite data reception processing and dissemination |
Chinook Helicopter
- The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol.
- The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters.
- It has a top speed of 310 km per hour and is one of the fastest helicopters in the world.
- It is also very effective in rescue and relief missions during national disasters, due to capability to carry heavy loads.
- The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of 15 Boeing made Chinook helicopters, which were acquired from the US in 2015 and were inducted into service in 2019.
