Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Technology

• Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) are rockets or spacecraft designed to return to Earth substantially intact, allowing them to be launched multiple times.
• The primary goal of RLV technology is to significantly reduce the cost of space access by reusing launch vehicle components instead of discarding them after each mission.
• RLVs are designed to recover and reuse the first stage of a rocket, which typically uses engines or parachutes to descend and land back on Earth.

Examples:

• SpaceX's Falcon 9: A well-known example of a reusable rocket, with its first stage returning to Earth for reuse.
• Blue Origin's New Shepard: A suborbital reusable rocket that performs vertical take-offs and landings.
• ISRO's RLV-TD: India's Reusable Launch Vehicle - Technology Demonstrator, a winged vehicle designed for hypersonic flight and autonomous landing.

Benefits:

• Reduced Launch Costs: Reusing components significantly lowers the cost per launch.
• Increased Reliability: RLVs can be designed with more robust components and systems, leading to increased reliability.
• Faster Turnaround Times: The ability to reuse launch vehicles can lead to faster turnaround times between missions, enabling a more rapid space exploration program.

Challenges:

• Recovery and Refurbishment Costs: The cost of recovering and refurbishing RLVs can offset some of the benefits of reusability.
• Technological Complexity: Developing and testing RLV technology is a complex and challenging undertaking.

What is RLV-TD (RLV-Technology Demonstrator)?

• The RLV-TD is a scaled-down prototype of the future reusable space vehicle. 
• It has been designed as a flying test site to evaluate multiple advanced spaceflight technologies, such as:
  • Hypersonic Flight – Testing speeds greater than Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound).
  • Autonomous Landing – The ability of the vehicle to land on its own without human control.
  • Powered Cruise Flight – Controlled flight within the atmosphere using an on-board propulsion system.

Design Features of RLV-TD

• The RLV-TD looks similar to an aircraft and consists of:
  • Fuselage (Main Body) – Houses essential equipment and structure.
  • Nose Cap – Designed to withstand high temperatures during re-entry.
  • Double Delta Wings – Specially designed wings for stability and aerodynamic efficiency.
  • Twin Vertical Tails – Provides directional control and stability.
• The RLV-TD is expected to be scaled up in the future to become the first stage of India’s reusable two-stage orbital launch vehicle, capable of launching satellites and space missions multiple times.