Indian RLV Tech Demonstrator Test

[antigravite]

Better image found today...

A.

 

[antigravite]

RLV-TD model wind tunnel testing (launch / propulsive phase).

A.

 

[RGClark]

Isro's Annual report (March 2013) reads:

A winged Re-usable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air breathing propulsion towards realising a Two Stage to Orbit (TSTO) fully re-usable launch vehicle.
...
The Integrated Technical Review (ITR) of RLV-TD by the National Review Committee in October 2012 has concluded that launch of RLV-TD HEX-01 mission in September 2013 is feasible

source: http://www.isro.org/pdf/Annual%20Report%202012-13.pdf page 64

Can't tell if this September test flight is supposed to be suborbital or orbital.

Bob Clark

 

[antigravite]

Can't tell if this September test flight is supposed to be suborbital or orbital.

Bob Clark

Suborbital, that was the original plan. It is unlikely though that Indians ever match the september deadline. (As any deadline, BTW.)
One issue is that pictures surfacing over the last 6 months, really are outdated. Indians performed lots of tests with those models and refer to one of them as the "Iron Bird". for static and structural testing.

A.

 

[antigravite]

Hi there,

Here are sequential screenshots of a promotional RLV-TD intended flight test (CGI) video.
This video was commissioned by the Indian Space Agency (ISRO)'s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) / Vehicle Configuration Analysis Division / Launch Vehicle Design Group. They are based in Thiruvananthapuram

A.

 

[antigravite]

More (batch #2)

A.

 

[antigravite]

More (batch #3)

A.

 

[antigravite]

More (batch #4 / END)

A.

 

[antigravite]

BTW, I'm not aware of any drop test yet performed by ISRO of any RLV-TD model or whatever along these lines, in any test range wit the intended purpose of testing well... the vehicle's flight behavior and maneuvers at supersonic / transonic / subsonic speeds and/or basic ALT procedures. These risk-reduction step-by-step undertakings, are experienced as business as usual everywhere else. Example: X-37 series, X-38, X-40, Italian Castor & Pollux demonstrators, Japanese HSFD (Hope-X), DreamChaser, Chinese Aotian-1 "vehicle", etc.

Reminder: RLV-TD was originally planned to perform 4 types of flight tests: HEX / LEX / REX / SPEX. All this with the "real" (actual) vehicle, if I'm right. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Soooooo... Since when do Indian FTE avoid testing ALT with "scale models" or anything like this? Everyone does this!
Any suggestion? Did I miss something? Searched the web. Found nothinga.

A.

 

[antigravite]

Launched today.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/india-successfully-launches-reusable-launch-vehicle/article8635448.ece

A.

Isro link:
http://www.isro.gov.in/technology-development-programmes/reusable-launch-vehicle-technology-demonstration-program-rlv-td

 

[antigravite]

Ascent and descent phase wind tunnel models.

A.

 

[Michel Van]

Last drop test
the smoke serves better visualisation of turbulence behind the gilder.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1814268954606727431

View: https://twitter.com/ToughSf/status/1814268954606727431

 

[Gessler]

The RLV-TD program is still coming along. After the initial launch on a small booster rocket (Hypersonic flight experiment, HEX) back in 2016 the project was left on simmer till 2023 when it was revived for a series of 3 Landing experiments (LEX), each being dropped from successively higher altitudes & off-nominal conditions by an IAF Chinook. The last LEX was in 2024 and there's been no update since.

Per what I've heard, the 'strategic' aspects of the technology have taken precedence and certain parts of the program are being reworked to accommodate the military/Defence Space Agency (DSA)'s requirements. The current prototype model being dropped from Chinooks is about the size of the Boeing X-40 Space Maneuver Vehicle, but the finished product is expected to be significantly larger, perhaps same size as X-37B or bigger (Shenlong-sized?).











The next phase of testing is supposed to see the RLV sit on top of a much larger rocket (derived from GSLV Mk-2) for a ride to orbit, from where it'll attempt a re-entry. Unclear if the 'larger' RLV will be used for this flight or not.





Either way, it seems the military has pretty much 'appropriated' the program is some way or the other, so I won't be surprised if the original plan to stick Scramjets on the thing has been dropped...

 

[martinbayer]

Utterly pathetic - I remember a "revolutionary" Indian SSTO RLV concept called Avatar (they don't even bother to change monikers) way back from the last millennium (good times!), and please boldly guess how much flight hardware came out of *that* effort...

 

[Archibald]

Utterly pathetic - I remember a "revolutionary" Indian SSTO RLV concept called Avatar (they don't even bother to change monikers) way back from the last millennium (good times!), and please boldly guess how much flight hardware came out of *that* effort...

Like countless others before them, India has realised scramjet for space launch is worthless.

 

[Gessler]

Utterly pathetic - I remember a "revolutionary" Indian SSTO RLV concept called Avatar (they don't even bother to change monikers) way back from the last millennium (good times!), and please boldly guess how much flight hardware came out of *that* effort...

If only every concept turns into reality...

Work on ISRO's Scramjets is continuing though, just not for the SSTO concept. The IP & whatever test data they got from the various flights will probably end up being transferred to a private company, unless DRDO finds a military application for it, but they've got their own Scramjet demonstrator (HSTDV) that seems to be more mature so they may not be interested too much.