Isro completes 2nd key landing experiment of reusable launch vehicle

Pushpak, an SUV-sized winged rocket dubbed the "swadeshi space shuttle", successfully landed on a runway in Karnataka this morning, marking a major milestone in the country's attempt to enter the reusable rocket segment.

The rocket was dropped from an Air Force helicopter as part of the test. The outcomes were "excellent and precise", said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath.

"ISRO nails it again! Pushpak (RLV-TD), the winged vehicle, landed autonomously with precision on the runway after being released from an off-nominal position," said the space agency.