A test of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would be conducted on Saturday with a landing experiment, said Chairman of S Somnath.
He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the India International Science Festival. The engineering works of the rocket engine were going on at present. The commercial opportunities in the sector should also be examined. The situation where only the government spends money for making rockets cannot be sustained for long, he said.
India is the only country that has achieved this feat after the United States and Russia. The test launch of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will be conducted between February 10 and 15.
The unmanned experiment under the Gaganyaan lunar programme that is aimed at taking humans into space and a rescue mission in the event of an accident would also be conducted this year. The manned mission would be conducted in December 2024.
India will enter the space tourism sector by allowing participation by private players. A vehicle to go up to 100 km in space till the Karman line, and return, is being manufactured. The ticket rate will be Rs. 6 crore.
(Karman line is the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space.)
Last year alone, 32 people visited space. This has opened up a vast opportunity, he said.
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