Indian Space Capabilities

[BlueDot_in_Space]

Semi-cryo engine update:

1. The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for Semi-cryogenic engine development has been completed.
Preparation of fabrication drawings of subsystems have been completed. A MOU has been signed with NFTDC for the realisation of copper alloy for Thrust chamber. Single element Pre-Burner (PB) injector realised and injector spray charaterisation using PIV was carried out. Test facility for single element pre-burner commissioned at PRG facility, VSSC. Semi Cryo Test facility design by M/s
Rolta has been completed.

2. Design of Semi Cryo Engine including heat exchanger and ejector is competed. Fabrication drawings and documents are generated based on the PDR and joint reviews. Configuration design of subscale engine is completed. Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of Hydraulic Actuation System (HAS) and Hydraulic Power System (HPS) for Engine Gimbal control is completed and Technical specifications are finalized.

3. Single Element Pre-Burner injector element has been hot tested successfully. Ignition of LOX/Isrosene propellant with hypergolic slug igniter and flame holding, demonstration of safe handling of pyrophoric fluid TEA, validation of start sequence, characterization of injector elements and qualification of Hayness-214 material are the major achievements of the tests.

4. Design of single element thrust chamber is completed and fabrication drawings are generated. Single element thrust chamber injector elements are realized and cold flow tests were carried out. Special pre burner which will provide hot gases for testing the single element thrust chamber has been realized.

 

[kurup]

They have selected the yellow config. Wing size is sufficient for producing required lift to maneuver to a landing site.

This is the RLV for TSTO ...... right ??

What about SSTO ?? Will they use the same design or a new one ??

 

[S-DUCT]

This is the RLV for TSTO ...... right ??

What about SSTO ?? Will they use the same design or a new one ??

IMO,this is for RLV-TD.RLV-TSTO's 1st stage will be enlarged and not radically different from RLV-TD

1st stage:derived from RLV-TD.
2nd stage:derived from SRE-1/2.

SSTO is a different ballgame all together. It will be based on HTV.

@anymember:
In which LV, ISRO is going to test and equip semi-cryogenic engine?

 

[BlueDot_in_Space]

@anymember:
In which LV, ISRO is going to test and equip semi-cryogenic engine?

Unified launch vehicle (ULV) and RLV-TSTO

 

[suren]

What is difference between TSTO and SSTO?

 

[S-DUCT]

What is difference between TSTO and SSTO?

SSTO vehicles reaches required orbit without jettisoning any hardware on the other hand a proposed TSTO LV will jettisions its hardware once to reach orbit.
You can think SSTO as a space plane,that takes from and delivers the payload and returns and then lands.
Till this date,No earth launched SSTO lv has been contructed

 

[kurup]

IMO,this is for RLV-TD.RLV-TSTO's 1st stage will be enlarged and not radically different from RLV-TD

1st stage:derived from RLV-TD.

TSTO 1st stage looks like having vertical stabilizers on the wings while in RLV-TD slanted vertical stabilizers are attached to the fuselage .

Why was 1st stage of TSTO selected to be a winged body ?? Why not a rocket body like the 2nd stage which can be recovered using parachutes ??

 

[S-DUCT]

TSTO 1st stage looks like having vertical stabilizers on the wings while in RLV-TD slanted vertical stabilizers are attached to the fuselage .

Why was 1st stage of TSTO selected to be a winged body ?? Why not a rocket body like the 2nd stage which can be recovered using parachutes ??

Mate just look at this pic and look at size of SRB.

X-37 has loaded weight of 4.9T and its quite comparable to RLV-TD weight of 3-4T.
But in the context of RLV-TSTO total lift off weight will less than 700T, more precisely 500T with payload fraction of 2% i.e 10T to LEO/GTO.

So to launch RLV-TSTO as you have mentioned .it would require very large SRB or multistage SRBs just like in Space shuttle and recovering this will be almost impossible.

 

[BlueDot_in_Space]

TSTO 1st stage looks like having vertical stabilizers on the wings while in RLV-TD slanted vertical stabilizers are attached to the fuselage .

Why was 1st stage of TSTO selected to be a winged body ?? Why not a rocket body like the 2nd stage which can be recovered using parachutes ??

What you are suggesting is currently being developed by Spacex called Grasshopper RLV. The first stage of grasshopper lands down vertically using a rocket engine.

As S-Duct pointed out, the choice to some extent depends on the size of the first stage. A small stage would be easy to be recovered by parachutes or landing bags like ISRO does in the case of SRE. When the size goes up, a threshold will come where using a winged body would be operationally easier and economically cheaper.

 

[S-DUCT]

Isro makes strides in pre-project plans

Sources in the agency told Deccan Herald that as part of the pre-project activities, drop test of full-scale Crew Module were conducted successfully “to understand the deceleration characteristics and validate the estimated values of ‘G’ level, touchdown velocity and depth of penetration.”

Another source pointed out that the flight suit had been successfully tested in vacuum chamber for leak rate assessment and material compatibility under vacuum conditions, adding that this was a key aspect for the programme.

The objective of the programme, which is proposed to be implemented in defined phases beginning 2017, is to undertake a human spaceflight mission to carry a crew of two to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and return them safely to a predefined destination on earth. Currently, the pre-project activities are progressing with a focus on the development of critical technologies for subsystems such as Crew Module (CM), Environmental control and Life Support System (ECLSS), Crew Escape System, etc.

Sources also said that the mortar-based parachute ejection and deployment tests carried out in single and clustered configuration were a success and the environmental simulation chamber has been realised for testing of ECLSS functional modules and flight suit systems were satisfactory. Updating autopilot on re-suable vehicle . Further, considerable progress has been made in the area of the Re-usable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD), critical for such a programme.

The RLV-TD has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air breathing propulsion towards realising a Two-Stage-to-Orbit (TSTO) fully re-usable launch vehicle.

Developments in this regard include updating of autopilot design in RLV-TD ascent phase and technology demonstration vehicle (TDV) descent phase.

The validation and navigation and guidance control (NGC) design, liftoff studies et al have been realised through 6D simulations.

“Guidance and Autopilot designs were modified based on simulation results,” a source said.
@BlueDot_in_Space: Which engine is going to power RLV-TD in cruise flight in sub-sonic regime.?

 

[BlueDot_in_Space]

@BlueDot_in_Space: Which engine is going to power RLV-TD in cruise flight in sub-sonic regime.?

No main engine, but 200N mono propellant RCS thrusters.

 

[SR-91]

Hey bluedot, a hello from a New Yorker

I spoke to Dr Radhakrishnan this morning and he said its ok to post a pic of the space suit.What do u think?

 

[RPK]

State of the art Mission Control Centre with two Launch Control Centres, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR

 

[1ndy]

Look like some serious R&D. Go ISRO Go.

 

[RPK]

GSLV-Mk III experimental flight in 2014: ISRO chairman Radhakrishnan


New Delhi: India plans to launch a next generation rocket to put heavier satellites and more astronauts into outer space within a year, a top official said on Wednesday. "The first experimental flight of the GSLV Mark III will take place one year from now," K Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation told the Annual General Meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi.
The new rocket, which can put a four tonne satellite in orbit, will help Antrix Corporation, ISRO's commercial arm, to offer cheapest space launches in the niche market. The regular GSLV can put 2.2 tonne satellites in orbit.
The GSLV Mark III will enable ISRO launch heavier satellites, an activity for which it has to turn to foreign launch vehicles like Arianspace, based in Kourou in French Guiana. The GSLV Mark III will also help ISRO put more Indians in space at one go.
GSLV Mark III is designed to be a three-stage 42.4 m tall vehicle, with a lift off weight of 630 tonnes. First stage comprises two identical S200 Large Solid Booster with 200 tonne solid propellant, that are strapped on to the second stage, the L110 re-startable liquid stage.
The third stage is the cryogenic upper stage loaded with 25 tonnes of propellant. The large payload fairing measures five meters in diameter and can accommodate a payload volume of 100 cubic meters.