In a significant mission, the IAF collaborated with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the Pushpak Reusable Landing Vehicle (RLV) LEX 02 landing experiment and dropped the ‘Pushpak’ from an altitude of 4.5 km.
IAF Chopper Drops ISRO’s Pushpak Viman
In a significant mission, the IAF collaborated with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the Pushpak Reusable Landing Vehicle (RLV) LEX 02 landing experiment and dropped the ‘Pushpak’ from an altitude of 4.5 km. The shuttle was dropped from 4.5 km above the earth to a runway in Karnataka’s Chitradurga by IAF’s Chinook helicopter, where the landing experiment was conducted earlier in the day. The IAF shared a video from the inside of the chopper showing the shuttle being dropped towards the ground.
ISRO said that after the RLV-LEX-01 mission, which was accomplished last year, the RLV-LEX-02 demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of RLV off-nominal initial conditions at the release from a Chinook helicopter. It added that the winged body and all flight systems used in RLV-LEX-01 were reused in the RLV-LEX-02 mission after due certification and clearances.
“Hence, the reuse capability of flight hardware and flight systems is also demonstrated in this mission. Based on observations from RLV-LEX-01, the airframe structure and landing gear were strengthened to tolerate higher landing loads,” ISRO said.
Boeing CH-47 Chinook
Engine type: Honeywell T55
Top speed: 302 km/h
Manufacturers: Boeing Rotorcraft Systems,
Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Piasecki Helicopter
Cruise speed: 291 km/h
