India successfully launches mini-shuttle

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), May 23:

India on Monday successfully launched its maiden winged reusable launch vehicle (RLV) as a technology demonstrator, an official said.

“We have successfully accomplished the RLV-TD mission. The lift-off was at 7.00 a.m. from the first launch pad here,” Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) director Devi Prasad Karnik told IANS after the mini-shuttle returned to the Earth.

The 1.7-tonne RLV was launched from ISRO’s spaceport here in Andhra Pradesh, about 80 km northeast of Chennai off the Bay of Bengal coast. (IANS)