The mission is being viewed with considerable interest by international space agencies because India will evaluate the reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology for the first time.

In an interview with Times of India on Saturday, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) G Madhavan Nair, said the three satellites to be carried by the rocket are the indigenous Cartosat-2, to be used for mapping purposes, a space capsule recovery experiment (SRE) and a 50 kilogram Indonesian satellite called Lapan.

The SRE mission is important because the capsule will be placed in orbit at an altitude of 625 km and recovered after sometime.

This will allow Indian Space Research Organisation to study the reusable launch vehicle technology especially in the critical area of re-entry when the capsule will experience searing temperatures.

This flight is expected to provide valuable input to the space agency in designing a reusable launch vehicle that will take off like a rocket, place a satellite in orbit and land back on a runway like an aircraft.

In short it will be an Indian space shuttle incorporating several improvements. Once placed in orbit, the capsule carrying some microgravity experiments is expected to remain in that position for 12 to 90 days.

When the drop command is flashed from Isro's telemetry and tracking centre at Bangalore, it will re-enter at a velocity of 1.5 km per second and splash down either in the Bay of Bengal or the Pulicat Lake.

During the final moments of the touchdown the capsule's speed will be reduced with the help of three parachutes.

The main advantage of a reusable launch vehicle over the current expendable rockets is that the launch cost is considerably cheaper.

Nair said the process of integrating the 44-metre tall PSLV rocket has been initiated at Sriharikota.

Related Links
Indian Space Research Organisation
Travelling through Space