India to test launch Prototype Space shuttle

Prototype Shuttle

A sleek winged body with weight and size of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) is being given final touches at Sriharikota as it awaits the final countdown, And, if all goes well than India’s space port at Sriharikota on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Andhra Pradesh will witness the launch of the ingenuously made Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)

So far 4 Flight tests are planned by ISRO, the first as per wiki is on May23rd, though i hear it may get delayed to June..

HEX (Hypersonic Flight Experiment) - 0400 UTC, 23 May 2016 (planned)
-Validating the aerodynamic design characteristics during Hypersonic flight.
-Characterize induced loads during the Hypersonic re-entry into the atmosphere.
-Assess the performance of the carbon fibre used in construction of the nose of the vehicle.
-Demonstrating First Stage separation sequencing.

LEX (Landing Experiment)
REX (Return Flight Experiment)
SPEX (Scramjet Propulsion Experiment)

The first launch it seems the Vehicle will crash into the sea and disintegrate on impact. The subsequent flight tests will require a 2.5 mile landing runway. The RLV will reduce costs of space flights by 90% as per ISRO and will be able to put space crafts on low Earth Orbit. Though i have to personally wonder what the human applications are, could it get tourists into low earth orbit ? with 90% reduction in cost this could really be a great for the tourism industry.

AVATAR will weigh only 25 tonnes in which 60 per cent of mass will be liquid hydrogen fuel. The oxygen required by the vehicle for combustion is collected from the atmosphere, thus reducing the need to carry oxygen during launch. AVATAR is said to be capable of entering into a 100-km orbit in a single stage and launching satellites weighing up to one tonne. Both the scramjet engine concept and the liquid oxygen collection process have already undergone successful tests at DRDO and at the Indian Institute of Science The Final version of the Vehicle would be named AVATAR which will be completed by 2025.

So if what i am to understand is correct, on testing stages RLV-TD will be on top of a solid stage booster, but in operation phase it will take of and land like a normal plane ?

India is one country progressing quite fast scientifically. Quite amazing.

I remember reading, that they got their own GPS system setup in orbit last month or so and now they are about to test launch a shuttle.

Cool sounds interesting, hopefully the test flights work as planned.

Remember, human-rated spacecraft require a much more rigorous design, build and test standards. Plus, life support adds to the mass.

After reading up about it, i realise its more similar to the X-37 Spaceplane rather than the Shuttle.

a reply to: FlyingFox

Their Manned Space program is a different one. They have already launced and recovered the crew module. Though in the future the Space Plane can do that too.

Mission successful

indianexpress.com...

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully tested its scramjet engine on Sunday in Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC). The scramjet engine, also known as the air-breathing engine because of the technology it uses, was tested with the launch of a big sounding rocket.

A senior ISRO official told news agency IANS that the mission was successful. “Two scramjet engines were tested during the flight. The finer details about the test will be known later.”

Scram jet engine successful. This should reduce space flight costs by at-least 10 times. Now awaiting for the HSDTV(Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle) test in December. The scramjet engine will also be integrated into BRAHMOS II cruise missile ...