ISRO successfully conducts 3rd consecutive test landing of reusable launch vehicle (RLV) 'Pushpak'

Jun 23, 2024

Chitradurga (Karnataka) June 23 (ANI): Adding another feat to its glory, ISRO on June 23 achieved a third consecutive success in the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing Experiment. The winged vehicle, ‘Pushpak’, was released from an IAF’s Chinook Helicopter from an altitude of 4.5 km. ‘Pushpak’ executed a precise horizontal landing, showcasing advanced autonomous capabilities under challenging conditions & more severe wing speed. The third & final test in the series of LEX (03) was conducted at 7:10 IST at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka. Sharing details about the experiment, ISRO stated that, “ISRO achieved its third and final consecutive success in the Reusable Launch Vehicle”. RLV-LEX-03 mission simulates the approach & landing interface & high-speed landing conditions for a vehicle returning from the space. With the objectives of RLV-LEX accomplished, ISRO embarks into RLV-ORV, the orbital reusable vehicle. Notably, the RLV-LEX-03 mission reused the winged body and flight systems as such without any modification from LEX-02 mission.