This
mission simulated the approach and landing interface and high-speed landing
conditions for a vehicle returning from space, reaffirming the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) expertise
in acquiring the most critical technologies required for the development of a
Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), the space agency said.
The third and final test in the series of
Landing Experiment (LEX-03) was conducted at 07:10 1ST at the Aeronautical Test
Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka.
Following the success of the RLV LEX-01
and LEX-02 missions, ISRO in a release said, RLV LEX-03 re-demonstrated the
autonomous landing capability of the RLV under more challenging release
conditions (cross range of 500 m against 150 m for LEX-02) and more severe wind
conditions.
The
winged vehicle, named 'Pushpak', was released from an Indian Air Force Chinook
Helicopter at an altitude of 4.5 km "from a release point 4.5 km away from
the runway. Pushpak autonomously executed cross-range correction manoeuvres,
approached the runway and performed a precise horizontal landing at the runway
centreline," it said.
Due to this vehicle's low lift-to-drag
ratio aerodynamic configuration, the landing velocity exceeded 320 kmph,
compared to 260 kmph for a commercial aircraft and 280 kmph for a typical
fighter aircraft, it added.