An IAD, designed and developed by VSSC, has been successfully test flown in a Rohini sounding rocket from TERLS, Thumba at 12.20 pm Saturday Sep 3. The IAD was initially folded and kept inside the payload bay of the rocket. At around 84 km altitude, the IAD was inflated and it descended through atmosphere with the payload part of sounding rocket.
The pneumatic system for inflation was developed by LPSC. The IAD has systematically reduced the velocity of the payload through aerodynamic drag and followed the predicted trajectory. This is first time that an IAD is designed specifically for spent stage recovery. All the objectives of the mission were successfully demonstrated
The IAD has huge potential in variety of space applications like recovery of spent stages of rocket, for landing payloads on to Mars or Venus and in making space habitat for human space flight missions.
Rohini sounding rockets are routinely used for flight demonstration of new technologies being developed by ISRO as well as by scientists from India and abroad. In today's flight, along with IAD new elements like micro video imaging system which captured the bloom and flight of IAD, a miniature software defined radio telemetry transmitter, MEMS based acoustic sensor and a host of new methodologies were flight tested successfully. These will be inducted later to the major missions. Sounding rockets offers an exciting platform for experimentation in upper atmosphere.
"This demonstration opens a gateway for cost effective spent stage recovery using the Inflatable Aerodynamics Decelerator technology and this IAD technology can also be used in ISRO's future missions to Venus and Mars" said Shri S Somanath, Chairman ISRO, Secretary DOS who witnessed the launch.
The launch was also witnessed by senior dignitaries of ISRO including Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, VSSC and Dr V Narayanan, Director, LPSC.
Related Links
Click here to view IAD Mission Brochure
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
| Tweet |
Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. | ||
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly | SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once credit card or paypal |
Rocket Lab completes first test fire of reused Rutherford Engine
Long Beach CA (SPX) Sep 02, 2022
Rocket Lab USA, Inc (Nasdaq: RKLB) has successfully test fired a reused Rutherford first stage engine for the first time - a significant technical achievement in the Company's efforts to make its Electron launch vehicle the world's first reusable orbital small rocket. Rocket Lab conducted the full duration, full-thrust test fire of the refurbished Rutherford engine earlier this week at the Company's engine test facility. The engine was previously successfully launched to space and returned to Eart ... read more