The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for its first runway landing experiment of the Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD). The test will take place in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, and Chairman S Somanath has stated that the organization is monitoring the weather conditions before proceeding with the experiment.
Somanath explained, “We are observing the climate conditions closely. As of now, the climate is not ideal for the test. Therefore, we are waiting for the wind and other systems to stabilize before proceeding with the experiment.”
According to ISRO officials, the RLV wing body will be transported via a helicopter to an altitude of three to five km. It will then be released approximately four to five km away from the runway with a horizontal velocity. After the release, the RLV will glide and autonomously navigate towards the runway, using a landing gear to eventually land at the defense airfield near Chitradurga.