A Reusable Launch Vehicle is that which can be used multiple times to launch orbits into space.
Benefits for India:
- The test is a part of a larger plan to build a fully functional two stage to orbit (TSTO) vehicle.
- Though manned space flight is the ultimate goal of RLVs the major advantage of development of an RLV is the reduction in cost of space launches and space travel itself.
- Building a fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle will help in cutting down by as much as 80 per cent the cost of launching satellites into orbit
- ISRO has already carried satellites into orbit for other countries. It can do the same with RLVs much easily and it would involve lower costs
- India can put more satellites in the orbit; improve telecommunication, location – based services etc.
- ISRO will also use cutting-edge technology to shield the launch vehicle from intense heat to reduce, if not completely eliminate, refurbishment expenses. Getting this right would enable the vehicle to be reused within a very short span of time.
- As per current estimates, ISRO should be able to break even after 25 to 50 launches, bringing down the cost of further launches on the same vehicle. With this it will become a part of the elite group of countries that possess this technology.
- It might help in sending manned space missions, ultimately expanding the scope for Indian Space Research
