The maiden launch of the space shuttle which has been called the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) is an important step in India's space missions. It hold even more significance as the US Space Agency NASA, had abandoned its reusable space mission in the year 2011.
The main aim of RLV-TD short for RLV Technology Demonstration is to put satellites into orbit around the earth. The test launch occurred at around 7 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The RLV-TD is 6.5 metre long and weighs about 1.75 ton.
The RLV is an attempt by ISRO to eventually cut down the infrastructure making cost for space. The test launch is a sneak peak in the development of a reusable rocket. The final version is expected to take about 10 to 15 years.
ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar said that ISRO will go through a series of technology demonstration exercises, the first one of which is the HEX-01, that is a hypersonic experiment and is called a winged body. Thus, the space agency are designing a winged body for the very first time, which will come back from space. The winged body will be carried up on a solid rocket motor.
Kumar also said that they have a long way to go until the actual RLV is developed and this is only the first of the many experiments in the offing.
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