Date: April 6, 2025
On April 6, 2025, ISRO successfully conducted its Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX-02) at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, Karnataka. The winged body RLV prototype was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to 4.5 km altitude and released, after which it autonomously navigated and landed safely on the runway, demonstrating precise landing capability. This is India’s second successful RLV landing test, bringing it closer to developing a cost-effective space shuttle-like system for future missions. ISRO chief S. Somanath said this milestone strengthens India’s ambitions for reusable heavy launch vehicles, reducing launch costs significantly and enabling faster turnaround for satellite deployments. The upcoming RLV LEX-03 mission will test longer horizontal flights later this year.