India 🇮🇳 achieved it!

April 2, 2023
ISRO successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX)

In a historic achievement, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka on April 2, 2023. This mission marks a major milestone for ISRO in developing a reusable launch vehicle technology that can significantly reduce the cost of space missions. The video showcases the details of the mission, including the release of the winged vehicle RLV from a helicopter, its autonomous landing on the runway, and the technologies involved in achieving this feat. This video is a must-watch for space enthusiasts and anyone interested in the latest advancements in space technology.

The RLV took off at 7:10 am IST by a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force as an underslung load and flew to a height of 4.5 km (above MSL). Once the predetermined parameters were attained based on the RLV's Mission Management Computer command, the RLV was released in mid-air, at a downrange of 46 km. Release conditions included 10 parameters covering position, velocity, altitude, and body rates, etc. The release of RLV was autonomous. RLV then performed approach and landing maneuvers using the Integrated Navigation, Guidance & Control system and completed an autonomous landing on the ATR's runway at 7:40 AM IST. With that, ISRO successfully achieved the autonomous landing of a space vehicle. The autonomous landing was carried out under the exact conditions of a Space Re-entry vehicle's landing high speed, unmanned, precise landing from the same return path—as if the vehicle arrives from space. Landing parameters such as Ground relative velocity, the sink rate of Landing Gears, and precise body rates, as might be experienced by an orbital re-entry space vehicle in its return path, were achieved. The RLV LEX demanded several state-of-the-art technologies, including accurate Navigation hardware and software, Pseudolite system, Ka-band Radar Altimeter, NavIC receiver, indigenous Landing Gear, Acrofoil honey-comb fins, and brake parachute system.

For the first time in the world, a winged body has been carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by a helicopter and released for carrying out an autonomous landing on a runway. RLV is essentially a space plane with a low lift to drag ratio requiring an approach at high glide angles that necessitated a landing at high velocities of 350 kmph. LEX utilized several indigenous systems. Localized Navigation systems based on pseudolite systems, instrumentation, and sensor systems, etc. were developed by ISRO. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the landing site with a Ka-band Radar Altimeter provided accurate altitude information. Extensive wind tunnel tests and CFD simulations enabled aerodynamic characterization of RLV prior to the flight. Adaptation of contemporary technologies developed for RLV LEX turns other conventional landmarks while offering new opportunities in space exploration.

ISRO demonstrated the re-entry of its winged vehicle RLV-TD in the HEX mission in May 2016, marking a major accomplishment in developing Reusable Launch Vehicles. In HEX, the vehicle landed on a hypothetical runway over the Bay of Bengal, but precise landing on a runway was not included in the mission. However, the LEX mission achieved the final approach phase that coincided with the re-entry return flight path, exhibiting an autonomous, high-speed (350 kmph) landing. The LEX began with an Integrated Navigation test in 2019, followed by multiple Engineering Model Trials and Captive Phase tests in subsequent years.

Along with ISRO, IAF, CEMILAC, ADE, and ADRDE contributed to this test. The IAF team worked hand in hand with the Project team, and multiple sorties were conducted to perfect the achievement of release conditions. Dr. S Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, VSSC, and Shri Shyam Mohan N, Programme Director, ATSP, guided the teams. Dr. Jayakumar M, Project Director, RLV, was the Mission Director, and Shri Muthupandian J, Associate Project Director, RLV, was the Vehicle Director for the mission. Shri Ramakrishna, Director, ISTRAC, was present on the occasion. Chairman, ISRO/Secretary, DOS, Shri Somanath, witnessed the test and congratulated the team.

With LEX, the dream of an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle comes one step closer to reality.

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