India has successfully launched its first indigenous space shuttle today. The first scaled down model the Re-Usable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator or RLV-TD rose majestically from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 7 am.
After 20 minutes beaming ISRO scientists were seen congratulating one another for the successful completion of the mission.
The flawless launch of the 6.5 meter-long scale model of the re-usable launch vehicle which weighed about 1.75 tons has propelled the nation into becoming the third country after US and Russia to have launched a space shuttle.
It was the culmination of the efforts of more than 600 scientists who had toiled for more than five years to perfect the technology.
However this is a small step, and it will be 2030 when the full scale 40 meter Reusable Space Vehicle will fly, and it will say what has been described as a Hanuman step. The RLV-TD was made at a cost of Rs 90 crore.
Launch of India’s first indigenous space shuttle RLV-TD is the result of the industrious efforts of our scientists. Congrats to them.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2016
Reusable space vehicle will help to reduce the cost of launching hardware into space by ten times. Today carrying 1Kg of space hardware could cost anywhere between $20000.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the scientists at ISRO for achieving this milestone and on his Twitter handle, he tweeted that it was a result of industrious efforts of our scientists. Congrats to them.
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India’s first indigenous space shuttle RLV- was launched atop a nine-ton rocket engine which was customized to burn slowly and lifts the winged body vertically.
The dynamism & dedication with which our scientists & @isro have worked over the years is exceptional and very inspiring.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2016
The shuttle flew up to 70 kilometers followed by a free gliding flight before landing on a virtual runway in the Bay of Bengal some 500 kilometers from Sriharikota.
Future tests will be accomplished will feature the space shuttle with an undercarriage making it possible to land the vehicle in Shriharikota
