RLV-TD

RLV-SB, HEX-01

Mission Profile

RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator) is ISRO's subscale winged reusable spaceplane prototype, launched on 23 May 2016 atop a solid rocket booster from Sriharikota, designed to validate aerodynamic performance, thermal protection systems, and autonomous flight control for future reusable launch vehicles. The 1.75-tonne vehicle performed a hypersonic reentry reaching Mach 5 before splashing down in the Bay of Bengal, successfully demonstrating the hypersonic aerodynamics and autonomous guidance system required for winged reentry. ISRO subsequently conducted a series of landing experiment tests with upgraded RLV-TD prototypes, including runway landing demonstrations at Challakere in 2023, progressively validating all aspects of the reusable landing profile. The RLV-TD program is the technological precursor to ISRO's planned RLV-ORV orbital vehicle.