Why is it in the news?

• ISRO successfully conducted the Pushpak Reusable Landing Vehicle (RLV) LEX 02 Landing Experiment

More about the news

• The Pushpak Reusable Landing Vehicle (RLV) LEX 02 Landing Experiment is the second in a series under the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD) Programme.
• RLV LEX 02 re-validated indigenous technologies for high-speed autonomous landing of a space-returning vehicle, utilizing the winged body and flight systems from RLV LEX-01.

About RLV-TD

• RLV-TD Programme aims to develop essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle, enabling low-cost access to space.
• RLV is designed as a space plane with a low lift-to-drag ratio, capable of delivering payloads to low Earth orbits and returning to Earth for reuse.
• The vehicle is intended to become the first stage of India’s reusable two-stage orbital launch vehicle.
• NASA has utilized RLV technology for some time, and private space agencies like SpaceX have demonstrated partially reusable launch systems.
• Advantages: Low-cost, reliable, and offering on-demand access to space.
• Challenges: Selection of materials such as special alloys, composites, and insulation materials, as well as the complex crafting of its parts, requiring highly skilled manpower.