New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation is developing its maiden reusable space shuttle which will be test-launched towards the second half of July.

"It is going to be an important engineering experiment for the Indian space agency. A small aeroplane-shaped vehicle would be launched from here sometime during the second half of July," M Y S Prasad, director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) told IANS over phone from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The 1.5 tonne space vehicle/ space shuttle, officially known as the reusable launch vehicle (RLV-TD) is developed to reduce the cost of access to space. As currently, the cost of placing 1kg of object in space is about $5,000 (Rs. 3 lakhs approx.), which scientists are hoping can be brought down to about $500 (Rs. 30,000).

Initially used for an unmanned shuttle, the spacecraft will be carried by a single solid rocket booster with nine tonnes of propellants programmed to fly to a height of 70 kms after which it will descend back to earth and land safely in the Bay of Bengal.

"The descent speed would be controlled through the fins on the machine. In order to protect the equipment from friction heat when it comes back, necessary protective tiles are fixed," an ISRO official told IANS.

Though there are no plans of recovering it yet. But ISRO ultimately plans to develop a technology to land the shuttle on a runway.

(With IANS inputs)