ISRO & Reusability: Wings vs VTVL

[cave_dweller]

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930085302.pdf

An interesting paper published by NASA that proposes a method to combine monoatomic oxygen (O) to diatomic oxygen (O2) to assist ramjet combustion for orbital flight beyond Mesosphere.

(.pdf attached)

[cave_dweller]

The graphic in this article is slightly different from the one I posted earlier.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/science/science/240516/reusable-isro-shuttle-passes-test.html

It seems to imply that upper stage will not have any additional fuel for recovery. Instead, it will simply use aero-dynamic drag and parachutes and protected landing to recover it.

[sanman]

The graphic in this article is slightly different from the one I posted earlier.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/science/science/240516/reusable-isro-shuttle-passes-test.html

It seems to imply that upper stage will not have any additional fuel for recovery. Instead, it will simply use aero-dynamic drag and parachutes and protected landing to recover it.

Perhaps they may start with chutes and powered landing could be a later iteration.



This version with the smaller wings seems more suited for higher mach numbers:

[cave_dweller]

http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.253/pub_detail.asp

Chinese perspective of winged body rockets. Good read.

[WIgorN]

Is it possible that reusability might even make its way into the ULV architecture, whether through wings or VTVL?

Why options for reusable VTVL systems are not being considered >> VT-orbital reentry gliding descent-VL. With a controlled "fall on the trampoline". The launch stages are unified (aerospike / invert aerospike, with a turn of the stream). Why drag wings into orbit when you can deploy a gliding parachute wing before landing.

TSTO - 2 or 3 boosters and 1 orbiter, on top of the payload delivered to LEO

[sanman]

Is it possible that reusability might even make its way into the ULV architecture, whether through wings or VTVL?

Why options for reusable VTVL systems are not being considered >> VT-orbital reentry gliding descent-VL. With a controlled "fall on the trampoline". The launch stages are unified (aerospike / invert aerospike, with a turn of the stream). Why drag wings into orbit when you can deploy a gliding parachute wing before landing.

TSTO - 2 or 3 boosters and 1 orbiter, on top of the payload delivered to LEO

So what I know is that there are plans to test in-flight abort system for human spaceflight program, and they plan to do test flight of crew capsule on a small booster stage for this. That small booster stage will be VTVL and will attempt to land back on the ground after the crew capsule is released as part of the test. So they are going to use part of human spaceflight budget to test some VTVL technologies.

[vyoma]

ISRO planning to test RH300 stage recovery using IAD (Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator):

https://twitter.com/Varun55484761/status/1543626189675175937

[vyoma]

Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator design for Spent Stage Recovery (published on Dec 2021): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356978724_Inflatable_Aerodynamic_Decelerator_design_for_Spent_Stage_Recovery

[Steven Pietrobon]

Here's the image from the tweet.

[vyoma]

ISRO considering a vertical landing technology demonstrator mission using Test Vehicle (TV) developed for Gaganyaan Crew Escape System (CES) [11 Aug 2021].

[vyoma]

DroneNet - Drone-based spent booster recovery using drones in formation and a net. Experiments with RH200 sounding rocket.

Source:

[Steven Pietrobon]

Interesting idea of using drones with a net to capture returning rockets!