ISRO plans to Design; Build new Reusable Rocket for Global Market, aims to cut costs of launching Satellites
The evolution of Reusable Launch Vehicle or Reusable Rocket by companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin has decreased the cost of space exploration. With these Retrievable Spacecraft, the Space Exploration possibilities have expanded and it has revolutionized the access to outer space.
India has also taken a step ahead in this journey of Space Exploration with the announcement of building a new Reusable Rocket. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to bring the Reusable Rocket Technology in India. ISRO to design and build a new Reusable Rocket for the Global Market that would significantly cut the launching costs of the satellites.
During the seventh ‘Bengaluru Space Expo 2022’ held on Monday, S Somanath, Secretary in the Department of Space and Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said, “… All of us want launches to be much cheaper than what we do today,”
The Reusable Rocket will be cost conscious
Today India does not have a Reusable Rocket Technology in launch vehicle (rockets).The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) currently spends between USD 10,000 to USD 15,000 which is roughly (INR 7,98,000 to INR 11,97,000) to send a one-kilogram payload into the orbit. The idea of making a reusable rocket will not only bring the reusable technology in India but would also cut down the cost to USD 5,000 (INR 3,99,000) or even USD 1,000 (INR 79,800) per kilogram.
Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD)
The ISRO Chief stated that they have been working on various technologies that will help to make a reusable rocket. It includes the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD), which was successfully tested by ISRO on September 3, 2022. Designed and developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Kerala, IAD is a technique used for an atmospheric entry payload. It is a game changer that supports multiple applications for future space applications like building space habitat during future human spaceflight missions, landing payloads on any planetary body such as Venus or Mars and recovering the spent stages of a rocket.
Combining these technologies such as Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD) and Retro Propulsion ( a technique that safely decelerate a space probe during re-entry into the atmosphere of a planet), ISRO will design and build a new reusable rocket. The new rocket would be the next rocket to be built after (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) GSLV Mk III, a three stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian space agency, ISRO.
ISRO move towards building the Reusable Rocket in India
The idea of bringing this Reusable Rocket Technology in India cannot be ISRO’s alone. Therefore to make this idea live, the space agency would like to do partnership with start-ups, industry and its commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). It has to be an industry’s idea and ISRO will work with them in designing, engineering, manufacturing and launching the rocket as a commercial product while operating it in a commercial manner.
Somanath said, It is a big shift from what ISRO does today and He would like to see this proposal taking shape into few months. He further added that the Space agency of India would like to see a cost-conscious, competitive and production-friendly reusable rocket in the near future. It will be the India’s first reusable rocket, built in India and operated globally for the services of the space sector.
Further, the Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman mentioned that this should happen in the next few years so that they can retire the existing operating launch vehicles (in India) at an appropriate time once the technology is ready to be executed.
