India’s usually low-profile space agency, ISRO, suddenly had the spotlight pointed at it after the success of the Mangalyaan Mars mission. And since then it has been constantly in the news – launching a record 104 satellites, testing the Crew Module on its biggest GSLV Mk3 rocket, testing the RLV (Reusable Launch Vehicle) and more recently about the Gaganyaan manned space mission.

Now, it intends to take on SpaceX. More specifically the company’s Falcon 9 reusable rocket. According to a report in TOI, the agency is now focusing on reusable rockets. ISRO may be doing this to cut down on launch costs further.

ISRO is looking to test the Vertical Take Off and Vertical Landing (VTVL) technologies in what is called the ADMIRE test vehicle. According to ISRO’s Dr. B N Suresh the ADMIRE test vehicle will prove tech such as retractable legs, retro propulsion and steerable fins.

These technologies will help in the vertically landing the rocket back near the launch pad.

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The rocket will use other indigenous technologies like NAVIC navigation receiver so that it can accurately land at the designated spot. Dr. Suresh also said “a test and landing site is being developed by Isro for this."

But this isn’t the only reusable technology that ISRO is working on. Last year, the agency test launched the RLV demonstrator. A winged spacecraft, it is meant to be launched vertically and after injecting the payload in orbit, come back to base for a landing like an airplane. The RLV is supposed to undergo another test with the craft being dropped from a plane to verify its landing ability.

Reusable launch crafts are all the rage these days because they not only reduce costs to launch stuff into space but also allow for more frequent launches than expendable rockets.