SpaceX has established itself as a leading force in space exploration. The company’s breakthrough innovations, including reusable rockets, affordable launches and commercial missions, have catapulted the company onto the world stage. SpaceX’s mission and accomplishments are laudable, but it’s not the only space research organization that has made a difference in space exploration.
THE Indian Space Research Organization The latest update from (ISRO) could pose a serious challenge to SpaceX.
In July 2022, we published an article urging SpaceX consider entering india space market. Our argument was based on the significant cost difference between SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which charged around $5,000 per kg payload, and ISRO’s PSLV rocket, which charged around $25,000 per kg payload. .
As the rupee hits an all-time low against the US dollar and India opens up its space industry to private players, we saw a perfect opportunity for SpaceX to venture into the Indian market and emulate the success of ISRO.
However, the situation was to change with India’s development of a low-cost 500 kg payload class Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). This development meant that ISRO could pose a serious challenge to SpaceX in terms of cost competitiveness.
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Also, while SpaceX offers a low cost per kg payload, they don’t often have rideshare missions that can accommodate smaller satellites, even on a commercial basis. In contrast, ISRO has a proven track record of accommodating co-passenger satellites in nearly all of its PSLV launches.
The game has changed following ISRO’s successful execution of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX), and the organization could become a formidable competitor to SpaceX in the years to come.
In a historic feat, on April 2, 2023, ISRO’s RLV made its first autonomous landing. Transported by a Chinook helicopter, the RLV was air-dropped and successfully navigated to the ATR airstrip using an integrated navigation, guidance and control system. ISRO says the RLV landed under conditions similar to a space re-entry vehicle landing, including a high-speed, unmanned, and precise landing from the same return path.
Read also: ISRO 2023 Upcoming Space Missions
Impressively, the RLV met all landing parameters, such as relative ground speed, landing gear sink rate, and precise body rates, with remarkable accuracy. To execute this mission, ISRO used an array of advanced technologies including navigation hardware and software, Pseudolite system, Ka-band radar altimeter, NavIC receiver, native landing gear, ailerons Aerofoil honeycomb and braking parachute systems. .
Ahead of space tourism?
The success of the RLV is a major milestone for ISRO, and it shows the agency has the technology and expertise to develop reusable rockets that can rival SpaceX. In an interview, ISRO President Sivan said that ISRO’s next rocket, after the GSLV Mk III, will be a reusable rocket. The goal is to bring the cost down to $5,000 or even $1,000 per kg, and the only way to do that is to use reusable technology in the launchers.
ISRO worked on various technologies, including the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD) demonstrated in this mission, to make this happen. Sivan said they will need to have backdrive to land the rocket on Earth.
Another area where ISRO could potentially compete with SpaceX is space tourism. In the near future, India will join the race for space tourism, with several major US space companies entering the market.
In an interview with The Times of India, the ISRO chairman said the agency had developed a space tourism vehicle that private industries could use. He also said that currently a ticket in Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic costs around Rs 6 crore per tourist. If the ISRO vehicle is converted for tourists, it may cost the same, taking into account the re-use of the vehicle.
Mission Gaganyan
Additionally, India’s Gaganyaan mission may be a potential competitor to SpaceX in its business of transporting astronauts to the space station. The mission is a bold and ambitious undertaking aimed at demonstrating the nation’s capability for human spaceflight.
The mission involves launching a three-member crew into a 400km orbit for a three-day mission, then returning them safely to Earth.
To achieve this, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) leveraged its in-house expertise and partnered with industry and academia to develop critical technologies such as a human-rated launcher, a life support, crew management aspects and emergency escape arrangements. .
Precursor missions, including integrated AirDrop test, pad abort test and test vehicle flights, will be flown to demonstrate technology readiness levels prior to the manned mission. With HLVM3, a reconfigured version of the reliable LVM3 rocket, at its disposal, ISRO is once again issuing a challenge to SpaceX.
