India's space agency completes RLV tech demonstration

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Sunday completed its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) technology demonstration by carrying out its third and final consecutive success in the RLV Landing Experiment (LEX), the space agency announced in an official statement, reported Xinhua.

The third and final LEX test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga in the southern state of Karnataka.

"The RLV LEX-03 re-demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of the RLV under more challenging release conditions and more severe wind conditions," said the ISRO in the statement.

The winged vehicle, named Pushpak, was released from an Indian Air Force's Chinook Helicopter at an altitude of 4.5 km. Pushpak autonomously executed cross-range correction maneuvers, approached the runway, and performed a precise horizontal landing, the statement said.

According to the ISRO, this mission will reaffirm its expertise in acquiring the most critical technologies required for the development of an RLV.