ISRO To Focus On Orbital Entry Trials After Achieving Hat-Trick In Pushpak Safe Landing (image-X/isro)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today achieved a rare distinction for any space agency. It achieved a rare hat-trick of the safe landing of an uncrewed, autonomous winged reusable launch vehicle during an experiment in this century.

In its statement, ISRO said that it has proudly achieved a third consecutive success in the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing Experiment (LEX) today. “The third and final test in the series of LEX (03) was conducted at 07:10 IST at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka,” it said.

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Hat-trick for ISRO in RLV LEX! 🚀

🇮🇳ISRO achieved its third and final consecutive success in the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing EXperiment (LEX) on June 23, 2024.

“Pushpak” executed a precise horizontal landing, showcasing advanced autonomous capabilities under… pic.twitter.com/cGMrw6mmyH

— ISRO (@isro) June 23, 2024

Speaking to NDTV, S Somanath, the ISRO chairman said that the achievement has set the stage for the orbital test of the Pushpak. He said it will be launched on a rocket into space, and then it can safely land on Earth. “Truly a game-changer technology to reduce cost of access to space. A uniquely atmanirbhar effort by ISRO to harness reusable rockets in a swadeshi way in the 21st century,” said Somanath.

He further added that the big test will come when India goes in for the orbital test. He said, that the Orbital Re-entry Vehicle (ORV) will have high temperature protection tiles on its outer surface, liquid rocket engines and a retractable landing gear. It will also have space for a payload that can be deployed through a door that will open.

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Pushpak, the winged vehicle, was released from an Indian Air Force Chinook Helicopter at an altitude of 4.5 km. From a release point 4.5 km away from the runway, Pushpak autonomously executed cross-range correction manoeuvres, approached the runway and performed a precise horizontal landing at the runway centreline.

The vehicle’s low lift-to-drag ratio aerodynamic configuration, the landing velocity exceeded 320 kmph, as compared to 260 kmph for a commercial aircraft and 280 kmph for a typical fighter aircraft. After touchdown, the vehicle velocity was reduced to nearly 100 kmph using its brake parachute