On May 23, 2016, India became the fifth nation to successfully conduct the flight demonstration of a scaled down version of a winged-body reusable launch vehicle, thereby validating the critical technologies such as autonomous navigation, guidance & control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management. This flight represented the first baby step towards the realisation of a future fully reusable Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) space transportation system.

A fully reusable Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) Launch Vehicle, that can launch payloads to Low Earth Orbit with 15 times reusability, is expected to reduce the launch cost by approximately 50 - 60% when compared to that of an expendable launch vehicle.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, DrJitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

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