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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted its third mission involving the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) named “Pushpak”

21 January 2025

Pushpak: Recently, on the March 22, 2024, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted its third mission involving the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) named “Pushpak” which was launched took place from the Chalakere Runway in Karnataka’s Aeronautical Test Range (ATR). During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre last month, he was briefed by Somanath about the development of the vehicle.

Pushpak

According to Hindu mythology, Puspak was originally owned by the demon king Ravana, who used it for various purposes, including transportation. After Ravana’s defeat by Lord Rama, Puspak came into the possession of Rama and was used by him during his return journey to Ayodhya after rescuing his wife, Sita. Recently, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a significant milestone with the successful landing mission of its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) named ‘Pushpak’ from the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Challakere near Karnataka’s Chitradurga. Pushpak was lifted by an Indian Airforce Chinook helicopter and released from a height of 4.5 km. It autonomously approached the runway, making cross-range corrections, and landed precisely using its brake parachute, landing gear brakes, and nose wheel steering system.In January 2012, ISRO’s design of the RLV spacecraft was approved by the National Review Committee. The first prototype, named RLV-TD (Technology Demonstrator), underwent maiden flight in 2016, incorporating advanced supercomputer simulations and heat-resistant materials developed by the National Aerospace Laboratory and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).