Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)

The idea of a reusable launch vehicle is not new. In fact, the United States started working on such a spacecraft in the 1970s, but the project was eventually cancelled due to budget constraints. Today, several countries, including China, Russia, and the United States, are working on developing reusable spacecraft.ISRO's RLV, also known as the Avatar spacecraft, is a two-stage vehicle that consists of a spaceplane and a rocket booster. The spaceplane is designed to carry payloads into orbit and return to Earth, while the rocket booster provides the initial propulsion needed to get the spaceplane off the ground.

The RLV has several advantages over traditional launch vehicles. First, it is expected to significantly reduce the cost of space launches. Launching a traditional rocket requires building a new vehicle each time, whereas the RLV can be used multiple times, reducing the cost of production and maintenance. Second, the RLV is expected to increase the frequency of space launches. Traditional rockets require several months to prepare between launches, whereas the RLV can be reused almost immediately, allowing for more frequent launches. Third, the RLV has the potential to make space missions safer. Traditional rockets are expendable, meaning that they are discarded after each launch. The RLV, on the other hand, can be recovered and refurbished, reducing the risk of accidents during launches.