India's first reusable spaceplane

[Frida Space]

India could launch as soon as May its first prototype of a reusable spaceplane. The program, known as RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration), was announced four years ago and consists of four flights to test powered hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and atmospheric reentry. The program will set the foundations for the Avatar program, a full-scale unmanned SSTO (single stage to orbit). Avatar could fly as soon as 2025, depending on the timescale of the technology demonstration program.

The first flight (HEX, or Hypersonic Flight Experiment) will feature a 1.5 ton RLV. Liftoff is set from the Satish Dhawan space centre on the island of Sriharikota. The launch vehicle will be a one-stage S-9, basically a solid rocket booster that will propell the spaceplane up to Mach 5.9. The spaceplane will separate from the launch vehicle (which will be lost upon reentry) and coast up to 70 km on a suborbital trajectory. Immediately after, it will start reentering. Its scramjet motor will guide it to a landing in the Bay of Bengal. In the near future, a landing strip capable of accomodating vehicles returning from orbital or suborbital flights will be built in the Satish Dhawan space centre.

The images appear to be very similar to Europe's IXV which flew last year on top of a Vega rocket. Well then, good luck to India! Looking forward to following this mission.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Frida Space

[PB666]

16 minutes ago, Frida Space said:

India could launch as soon as May its first prototype of a reusable spaceplane. The program, known as RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration), was announced four years ago and consists of four flights to test powered hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and atmospheric reentry. The program will set the foundations for the Avatar program, a full-scale unmanned SSTO (single stage to orbit). Avatar could fly as soon as 2025, depending on the timescale of the technology demonstration program.

The first flight (HEX, or Hypersonic Flight Experiment) will feature a 1.5 ton RLV. Liftoff is set from the Satish Dhawan space centre on the island of Sriharikota. I'm unsure about the launch vehicle being used. Some more credible sources say it will be a one stage S9, basically a solid rocket booster that will propell the spaceplane up to Mach 5.9. However, other sources say the RLV will launch on a two-stage balistic rocket Rohini. Either way, the spaceplane will separate from the launch vehicle (which will be lost upon reentry) and coast up to 70 km on a suborbital trajectory. Immediately after, it will start reentering. Its scramjet motor will guide it to a landing in the Bay of Bengal. In the near future, a landing strip capable of accomodating vehicles returning from orbital or suborbital flights will be built in the Satish Dhawan space centre.

The images appear to be very similar to Europe's IXV which flew last year on top of a Vega rocket. Well then, good luck to India! Looking forward to following this mission.

I'm finding this a bit hard to understand, why would you land the winged launch vehicle under the landing site, if you do anything more than provide a launch booster, the vehicle should have west to east momentum, the landing site should be to the east by at least a few miles. mach 6 is only something like 2000 m/s but the orbital payload would need 7900 m/s depending on gas temperature and composition. 

[Frida Space]

1 hour ago, PB666 said:

I'm finding this a bit hard to understand, why would you land the winged launch vehicle under the landing site, if you do anything more than provide a launch booster, the vehicle should have west to east momentum, the landing site should be to the east by at least a few miles. mach 6 is only something like 2000 m/s but the orbital payload would need 7900 m/s depending on gas temperature and composition. 

Well, the plan is to make it an orbital vehicle, so once it reaches orbit, it can land basically anywhere along the orbit's inclination. The Space Shuttle launched from Cape Canaveral and landed back at Cape Canaveral. I hope I understood your question

[YNM]

36 minutes ago, PB666 said:

I'm finding this a bit hard to understand, why would you land the winged launch vehicle under the landing site, if you do anything more than provide a launch booster, the vehicle should have west to east momentum, the landing site should be to the east by at least a few miles.

It is, indeed. Sriharikota is on the eastern India coast, and Bay of Bengal is right to the east of it.

[Spaceception]

Just now, Frida Space said:

India could launch as soon as May its first prototype of a reusable spaceplane. The program, known as RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration), was announced four years ago and consists of four flights to test powered hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and atmospheric reentry. The program will set the foundations for the Avatar program, a full-scale unmanned SSTO (single stage to orbit). Avatar could fly as soon as 2025, depending on the timescale of the technology demonstration program.

The first flight (HEX, or Hypersonic Flight Experiment) will feature a 1.5 ton RLV. Liftoff is set from the Satish Dhawan space centre on the island of Sriharikota. I'm unsure about the launch vehicle being used. Some more credible sources say it will be a one stage S9, basically a solid rocket booster that will propell the spaceplane up to Mach 5.9. However, other sources say the RLV will launch on a two-stage balistic rocket Rohini. Either way, the spaceplane will separate from the launch vehicle (which will be lost upon reentry) and coast up to 70 km on a suborbital trajectory. Immediately after, it will start reentering. Its scramjet motor will guide it to a landing in the Bay of Bengal. In the near future, a landing strip capable of accomodating vehicles returning from orbital or suborbital flights will be built in the Satish Dhawan space centre.

The images appear to be very similar to Europe's IXV which flew last year on top of a Vega rocket. Well then, good luck to India! Looking forward to following this mission.

I didn't know that, India's really making large strides in its space program, holy cow. And looking at their past prices, I'm pretty sure this will be dirt cheap, space exploration wise anyway.

[Scotius]

The more the merrier I hope multiple nations successfully using spaceplanes will convince ESA to shell money for Skylon - that would be something.

[todofwar]

I have been saying for a while now India is really kicking ass. They're not "good for a third world country" they're just damn awesome at this whole space thing. The Mars mission showed just how good their people are, and at a fraction of the cost. Interested to see what they can do for launch system technology going forward. 

[Spaceception]

Just now, todofwar said:

I have been saying for a while now India is really kicking ass. They're not "good for a third world country" they're just damn awesome at this whole space thing. The Mars mission showed just how good their people are, and at a fraction of the cost. Interested to see what they can do for launch system technology going forward. 

Yeah, if they had NASA's budget, they could probably put a large manned base on the Moon in 8 years

Edited April 8, 2016 by Spaceception

[todofwar]

51 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

Yeah, if they had NASA's budget, they could probably put a large manned base on the Moon in 8 years

I'm picturing the Congressional hearings when NASA says "Yeah, we did the analysis and it would be better for the future of space exploration to just give all our money to India and claim credit later."

[fredinno]

10 hours ago, Frida Space said:

India could launch as soon as May its first prototype of a reusable spaceplane. The program, known as RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration), was announced four years ago and consists of four flights to test powered hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and atmospheric reentry. The program will set the foundations for the Avatar program, a full-scale unmanned SSTO (single stage to orbit). Avatar could fly as soon as 2025, depending on the timescale of the technology demonstration program.

This seems pretty advanced of a project for India to undergo, TBH. They don't even have a manned capsule and HLV, and yet, they're already moving to spaceplanes?

6 hours ago, todofwar said:

I have been saying for a while now India is really kicking ass. They're not "good for a third world country" they're just damn awesome at this whole space thing. The Mars mission showed just how good their people are, and at a fraction of the cost. Interested to see what they can do for launch system technology going forward. 

The Mars mission used a probe similar to their moon mission, and used its native propulsion system- Mars isn't that much harder Delta-V wise than the Moon.

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2013/11220947-maven-mom-trajectory-explainer.html?referrer=https://www.google.ca/

It was fairly easy to make, especially since it was so small.

5 hours ago, Spaceception said:

Yeah, if they had NASA's budget, they could probably put a large manned base on the Moon in 8 years

Indeed.

[fredinno]

7 hours ago, Frida Space said:

India could launch as soon as May its first prototype of a reusable spaceplane. The program, known as RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration), was announced four years ago and consists of four flights to test powered hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and atmospheric reentry. The program will set the foundations for the Avatar program, a full-scale unmanned SSTO (single stage to orbit). Avatar could fly as soon as 2025, depending on the timescale of the technology demonstration program.

The first flight (HEX, or Hypersonic Flight Experiment) will feature a 1.5 ton RLV. Liftoff is set from the Satish Dhawan space centre on the island of Sriharikota. I'm unsure about the launch vehicle being used. Some more credible sources say it will be a one stage S9, basically a solid rocket booster that will propell the spaceplane up to Mach 5.9. However, other sources say the RLV will launch on a two-stage balistic rocket Rohini. Either way, the spaceplane will separate from the launch vehicle (which will be lost upon reentry) and coast up to 70 km on a suborbital trajectory. Immediately after, it will start reentering. Its scramjet motor will guide it to a landing in the Bay of Bengal. In the near future, a landing strip capable of accomodating vehicles returning from orbital or suborbital flights will be built in the Satish Dhawan space centre.

The images appear to be very similar to Europe's IXV which flew last year on top of a Vega rocket. Well then, good luck to India! Looking forward to following this mission.

BTW, I would like a source to this.

[Frida Space]

15 hours ago, fredinno said:

BTW, I would like a source to this.

Choose one

The Times of India

SpaceFlightInsider

New Indian Express

Indian Express

The Hindu

Unfortunately the New Indian Express says the launch vehicle will be a PSLV. So now, after S9 and Rohini, we have a third potential launch vehicle  Plus, some of these sources say Avatar is going to be a two-stage to orbit rather than an SSTO. However, I believe anything about Avatar at this moment in time is just pure speculation. It might as well become an aircraft carrier by the time we see it.

[Anna Davis]

I also would like to have a source to it!

Edited April 9, 2016 by Anna Davis

[Frida Space]

4 hours ago, Anna Davis said:

I also would like to have a source to it!

Do you mean you want a link to an article with this news? I've already put five sources in the post right above yours.

[Spaceception]

Just now, Frida Space said:

Choose one

The Times of India

SpaceFlightInsider

New Indian Express

Indian Express

The Hindu

Unfortunately the New Indian Express says the launch vehicle will be a PSLV. So now, after S9 and Rohini, we have a third potential launch vehicle  Plus, some of these sources say Avatar is going to be a two-stage to orbit rather than an SSTO. However, I believe anything about Avatar at this moment in time is just pure speculation. It might as well become an aircraft carrier by the time we see it.

Wait, wait, wait, as early as MAY 2016!? wtf!!

[Frida Space]

2 hours ago, Spaceception said:

Wait, wait, wait, as early as MAY 2016!? wtf!!

Yes, it's going to happen pretty soon  although it has been postponed from over a year ago

[Nibb31]

2 hours ago, Spaceception said:

Wait, wait, wait, as early as MAY 2016!? wtf!!

Probably for the subscale suborbital model. It seems to be similar to the IXV test that launched on Vega.

[Spaceception]

Just now, Nibb31 said:

Probably for the subscale suborbital model. It seems to be similar to the IXV test that launched on Vega.

Still, they're moving awfully fast.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Spaceception

[Kryten]

1 hour ago, Spaceception said:

Still, they're moving awfully fast.

This launch was originally supposed to take place in 2011. 

8 hours ago, Frida Space said:

Choose one

The Times of India

SpaceFlightInsider

New Indian Express

Indian Express

The Hindu

Unfortunately the New Indian Express says the launch vehicle will be a PSLV. So now, after S9 and Rohini, we have a third potential launch vehicle  Plus, some of these sources say Avatar is going to be a two-stage to orbit rather than an SSTO. However, I believe anything about Avatar at this moment in time is just pure speculation. It might as well become an aircraft carrier by the time we see it.

NEI say it's a booster from PSLV, which is exactly what S-9 is; Rohini is just a general term for Indian suborbital rockets. AVATAR is currently focused on TSTO, see for example the presentation in this video;  https://youtu.be/AYOYE-zWpMw?t=70

 

Edited April 9, 2016 by Kryten

[Frida Space]

2 hours ago, Kryten said:

NEI say it's a booster from PSLV, which is exactly what S-9 is; Rohini is just a general term for Indian suborbital rockets. AVATAR is currently focused on TSTO, see for example the presentation in this video;  https://youtu.be/AYOYE-zWpMw?t=70

 

Oh ok, thank you for the clarification. However some sources say a two-staged Rohini, others a one-stage S9/PSLV. I'm guessing the latter?

[Kryten]

5 minutes ago, Frida Space said:

Oh ok, thank you for the clarification. However some sources say a two-staged Rohini, others a one-stage S9/PSLV. I'm guessing the latter?

Yes, the latter. The developers refer to is as a two-stage vehicle (e.g. in this article abstract) which is probably the cause for the confusion, but the second stage is RLV-TD itself.

[Frida Space]

7 hours ago, Kryten said:

Yes, the latter. The developers refer to is as a two-stage vehicle (e.g. in this article abstract) which is probably the cause for the confusion, but the second stage is RLV-TD itself.

Oh, everything's clear now. Cheers!

[YumonStudios]

11 hours ago, Spaceception said:

Still, they're moving awfully fast.

How long has this project been in the pipeline?

[Spaceception]

Just now, YumonStudios said:

How long has this project been in the pipeline?

Apparently since 2011, I didn't know, I though that it was more recent

[todofwar]

On Friday, April 08, 2016 at 1:47 PM, fredinno said:

The Mars mission used a probe similar to their moon mission, and used its native propulsion system- Mars isn't that much harder Delta-V wise than the Moon.

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2013/11220947-maven-mom-trajectory-explainer.html?referrer=https://www.google.ca/

It was fairly easy to make, especially since it was so small.

Doesn't take away from the fact that they reached Mars on their first try. I don't get the sense that you are doing this but I often feel like people look down on India's space program for some reason, even though they have a very good track record and are making serious advances.