SPLASHDOWN? For a winged body with aerodynamic control?
SPLASHDOWN? For a winged body with aerodynamic control?Indian Surprise Research Organisation.
Google says FADS = Flush Air Data SensingSo what's that for?
You mentioned reusable technology to save costs. Where are we in that?Last year, we tried out the RLV-TD experiment [Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator]. We got a small, plane-like model to vertically land on water. Next we will look at landing it on the ground with a landing gear system. We are conceiving systems to work on the air breathing propulsion technology that will use atmospheric oxygen. For the present launch vehicles, we will look at recovering [and reusing] some parts.
Latest interview with ISRO chief Dr S Kiran Kumar mentions RLV-TD:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/gslv-mkiii-has-given-us-a-big-push-isro-chairman/article18958357.eceQuoteYou mentioned reusable technology to save costs. Where are we in that?Last year, we tried out the RLV-TD experiment [Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator]. We got a small, plane-like model to vertically land on water. Next we will look at landing it on the ground with a landing gear system. We are conceiving systems to work on the air breathing propulsion technology that will use atmospheric oxygen. For the present launch vehicles, we will look at recovering [and reusing] some parts.So it sounds like the next experiment will be LEX - the Landing EXperiment - whereby the remaining twin RLV-TD model will be fitted with landing gear and landed on a runway. I'm assuming it will simply be dropped from an aircraft and not fired from a rocket, before deploying its landing gear to land conventionally. I think it's previously been mentioned that they might even possibly combine LEX with REX (Return flight EXperiment), the latter being where RLV-TD is fitted with a conventional turbojet, to take off from a runway conventionally and then land back on the runway conventionally, without being dropped from any carrier aircraft.
Work is progressing at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here on the second RLV-TD. A senior officer associated with the project said the RLV-TD will almost be a ditto version of the first scaled-down RLV-TD with the only exception being it will have landing gear
ISRO sources said it may take another year for the model to be ready. They said the present plan is to launch the RLV-TD from Sriharikota and land it on an undisclosed Air Force airfield in the eastern sector. This is yet to be finalised though, they said.
ISRO plans a series of TDs before attempting to build a fully-fledged vehicle that can be reused for launching satellites. A subsequent TD will possibly involve a slightly larger vehicle which will place a nano-satellite in the orbit.
They said the present plan is to launch the RLV-TD from Sriharikota and land it on an undisclosed Air Force airfield in the eastern sector. This is yet to be finalised though, they said.
QuoteISRO plans a series of TDs before attempting to build a fully-fledged vehicle that can be reused for launching satellites. A subsequent TD will possibly involve a slightly larger vehicle which will place a nano-satellite in the orbit.I'm not sure if that last piece of info (if accurate) means they eventually plan to have a slightly scaled-up version of RLV-TD mounted on a larger solid booster and equipped with small liquid engines for orbit insertion, or whether they plan to mount it as a payload on a PSLV to test its re-entry characteristics from orbit.
QuoteThey said the present plan is to launch the RLV-TD from Sriharikota and land it on an undisclosed Air Force airfield in the eastern sector. This is yet to be finalised though, they said.IAF has a base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. That might be a probable option as it pretty much lies in the direction of an eastward flight path from Sriharikota and is located at the right distance as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya1FUEBY0N4