Pradeep's Space Newsletter #49
Three Successes - LVM3 M3 mission, RLV LEX, and Skyroot's 3D printed cryogenic engine and other updates
LVM3 M3/ OneWeb India-2 Mission Successful
India’s LVM3 (formerly, GSLV Mk-III) accomplished the M3/OneWeb India-2 mission successfully on March 26, 2023. It placed 36 satellites belonging to OneWeb. The total payload mass was 5,805 kg.
After the shutdown of the cryogenic C25 stage (with the CE-20 engine), the stage did a series of complicated maneuvers to place the 36 satellites in orbit (shown in the image above).
Looking forward to LVM3’s commercial success, and becoming a workhorse launch vehicle for India like the PSLV.
Read More: Mission Page
Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) - Landing Experiment Successful
The prototype of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) completed the Landing Experiment (LEX) successfully. The prototype was dropped by an Indian Air Force’s Chinook helicopter from a height of 4.5 km, at a distance of 4.6 km. The prototype RLV landed at the Defence Research and Development Organization’s (DRDO) Chitradurga Aeronautical Test Range (ATR).
Read More: ISRO page | ISRO sub-Reddit discussion on the use case of RLV
Skyroot Aerospace successfully tests Dhawan II cryogenic engine
Skyroot Aerospace tests Dhawan II cryogenic engine in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The engine will be used in Vikram-II launch vehicle. The engine is 3D-printed and uses Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquified Oxygen (LOX) as cryo-propellants. It was tested for 200 s.

Read More: Pawan’s tweet + answers to some questions
ISRO Updates
Indian Space Situational Assessment for the year 2022 – Highlights
Australia's India-focused International Space Investment grants programme is open now