New Delhi: Pushpak, an SUV-sized winged rocket dubbed the “swadeshi space shuttle”, successfully landed on a runway in Karnataka this morning, marking a major milestone in the country’s attempt to enter the reusable rocket segment. The rocket was dropped from an Air Force helicopter as part of the test. The outcomes were “excellent and precise”, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath.
“ISRO nails it again! Pushpak (RLV-TD), the winged vehicle, landed autonomously with precision on the runway after being released from an off-nominal position,” said the space agency.
ISRO said the mission successfully simulated the approach and high-speed landing conditions of RLV returning from space.
“The winged vehicle, called Pushpak, was lifted by an Indian Airforce Chinook helicopter, and was released from 4.5 km altitude. After release at distance of 4km from the runway, Pushpak autonomously approached the runway along with cross range corrections. It landed precisely on the runway and came to a halt using its brake parachute, landing gear brakes and nose wheel steering system,” it said in a statement.
The experiment was the third flight of Pushpak, part of a test of its robotic landing ability in more complicated circumstances. It is expected to take many more years to deploy Pushpak operationally
“The Pushpak launch vehicle is India’s bold attempt to make access to space most affordable,” Mr Somanath had earlier asserted.
“It is India’s futuristic Reusable Launch Vehicle, where the most expensive part, the upper stage, which houses all the expensive electronics, is made reusable by bringing it back safely back to Earth. Later, it could even do refuelling of in-orbit satellites or retrieving satellites from orbit for refurbishment. India seeks to minimise space debris and Pushpak is one step towards that as well,” he had said.
