Article:
India’s ISRO has recently made headlines for successfully testing the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD) technology. The innovative technology is expected to revolutionize space missions by enabling cost-effective recovery of spent rocket stages and safely landing payloads on other planets.
About the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator
The Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator, or IAD, was designed, developed, and successfully test-flown by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of ISRO. Its first successful test flight took place in a Rohini-300 (RH300 Mk II) sounding rocket launched from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station.
Sounding rockets like the Rohini are often used to demonstrate new technologies by scientists from India and other countries. The IAD technology serves to decelerate an object as it descends through the atmosphere.
Initially folded and kept within the payload bay of the rocket, the IAD was inflated at approximately 84 km altitude. Following its inflation, it descended with the payload part of a sounding rocket through the atmosphere. The technology systematically reduced the velocity of the payload using aerodynamic drag, exactly following the trajectory predicted.
Aerodynamic drag, also known as air resistance, is the force that resists an object’s motion through a fluid. With this technology, the IAD efficiently uses this force to slow down the payload’s velocity.
Potential Applications of IAD
The potential of IAD goes beyond just the recovery of spent rocket stages. It can aid in landing payloads onto planets like Mars or Venus. Additionally, it has significant potential for creating space habitats for human space flight missions. The implications of these potential applications could instigate a new era of space exploration.
Overview of ISRO
The Indian Space Research Organisation, popularly known as ISRO, is the space agency operating under the Department of Space, Government of India. It has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The main vision of ISRO is to utilize space technology for national development while also engaging in space science research and planetary exploration.
ISRO’s marketing arm, Antrix Corporation Limited (ACL), is responsible for promoting and commercially exploiting space products, including technical consultancy services and transferring technologies developed by ISRO. The incumbent chairman of ISRO is Shri S. Somanath.
The successful testing of IAD technology by ISRO is a significant milestone in space technology. Its potential applications can revolutionize future space missions, marking the dawn of new possibilities in space exploration. Source: TH
