Reusable Rockets: Sustainable access to space

For India, mastering reusable rockets is essential for strategic autonomy, commercial competitiveness, and future crewed missions. Reusable Rockets can lead to sustainable Space Access. Read here to learn more.

The global space industry is at a critical inflexion point as SpaceX’s Starship moves toward full-scale commercial operations and ISRO advances toward its Orbital Return Flight Experiment (OREX) under the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) programme. These parallel developments underline a decisive shift in spaceflight philosophy, from expendable rockets to fully reusable launch systems.

Reusability is now viewed as the key to reducing the cost of access to space by up to 80%, enabling large satellite constellations, deep-space missions, space stations, and long-term human presence beyond Earth.

What Are Reusable Rockets?

A reusable rocket is a launch vehicle designed to return to Earth intact after launch, allowing its most expensive components, such as engines, avionics, tanks, and structures, to be refurbished and flown again.

Significance of Reusability:

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• Traditional rockets follow a disposable model, where each launch requires a newly built vehicle
• Reusable rockets shift spaceflight to a transportation model, similar to commercial aviation
• Hardware can be reused dozens of times, amortising manufacturing costs across multiple missions
• Enables high launch cadence, rapid turnaround, and lower per-kg launch costs

This paradigm shift is foundational to the modern commercial space economy.

How are reusable rockets being developed?

1. Push Toward Full Reusability

• SpaceX’s Starship aims to recover both the booster and upper stage
• Capable of carrying up to 100 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
• Represents the first attempt at a fully reusable heavy-lift launch system

Full reusability dramatically lowers marginal launch costs and enables interplanetary missions.

2. Rapid Turnaround Time

• Leading players target 24-hour turnaround
• Rockets are treated like aircraft rather than expendable machines
• Essential to support:
  • Mega-constellations (e.g., Starlink)
  • Responsive military launches
  • Commercial space stations

3. Vertical Integration and Advanced Manufacturing

• Increased use of:
  • 3D printing
  • Modular engine design
  • In-house manufacturing
• Reduces repair time, supply-chain dependence, and refurbishment cost

4. Intensifying Global Competition

Beyond SpaceX, new entrants include:

• Blue Origin (New Glenn): heavy-lift reusable booster
• China’s LandSpace (Zhuque-3): reusable methane-powered launcher planned for 2026

Reusability is fast becoming the global norm, not an exception.

Why Do Rockets Have Multiple Stages?

1. Shedding Dead Weight

• As fuel burns, empty tanks become excess mass
• Dropping spent stages improves thrust efficiency

2. Improved Performance

• Lighter rockets accelerate faster
• Allows remaining fuel to push a smaller mass to orbital velocity

3. Reusability Shift

• Earlier: stages discarded into oceans
• Now: stages are guided back to land or sea platforms for recovery

Global Leaders vs India in Reusable Rockets

India’s Key Challenges in Achieving Reusability

1. Thermal Protection Systems (TPS)

• Re-entry temperatures exceed 2,000°C
• Winged RLVs face higher thermal loads than capsules
• ISRO is testing Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) for Pushpak’s heat shield ahead of the 2026 orbital return test

2. Precision Autonomous Landing

• Requires sub-meter accuracy from hypersonic speeds
• Must handle wind shear, turbulence, and sensor degradation
• RLV-LEX-03 (June 2024) validated landing in high-wind conditions, but orbital velocity recovery remains untested

3. Propulsion Constraints

• Existing engines (PSLV/LVM3) are not designed for:
  • Multiple re-starts
  • Throttle control for landing
• ISRO’s LOX-Methane engine programme addresses:
  • Cleaner combustion
  • Easier reusability
  • Lower refurbishment cost

4. Refurbishment Economics

• Reuse is viable only if refurbishment costs < new build cost
• Following PSLV C-62 failure (early 2026):
  • Insurance premiums rose
  • Trust deficit emerged around reused hardware

5. Infrastructure Gaps

• Lack of:
  • Dedicated ocean recovery barges
  • High-speed telemetry networks
• ISRO plans a 4 km dedicated runway at Sriharikota for RLV landings

Way Forward

1. Fast-Track the NGLV (Soorya) Programme

• 30-tonne LEO capacity
• Reusable first stage
• Complete D1-D3 flights within 8 years
• Essential for:
  • Bharatiya Antariksh Station
  • Crewed lunar missions
  • Deep-space ambitions

2. Shift to a PPP-Led Manufacturing Model

• ISRO as a technology enabler
• Industry handles:
  • Manufacturing
  • Scaling
  • Cost optimisation
• Mirrors global best practices

3. Support Reusable Launch Start-ups

• Agnikul and Skyroot act as agile testbeds
• Their small launch vehicles enable:
  • Rapid iteration
  • Risk-tolerant experimentation
• Successful subsystems can be scaled into national heavy-lift programmes

4. Leverage IN-SPACe Venture Capital Fund

• ₹1,000-crore deep-tech VC fund
• Supports about 40 firms
• Benefits:
  • Reduces brain drain
  • Encourages competition
  • Drives down launch costs through market pressure

5. Master Multiple Recovery Architectures

• Vertical landings for heavy boosters (NGLV)
• Horizontal runway landings for winged RLVs (Pushpak)
• A dual approach increases mission flexibility and resilience

Conclusion

Reusable rockets are redefining access to space, transforming it from an elite, state-driven activity into a scalable commercial ecosystem. While global leaders are already reaping the benefits of full reusability, India stands at a decisive moment.

By fast-tracking the Next Generation Launch Vehicle, embracing PPP-led innovation, and nurturing private start-ups, India can close the reusability gap and secure affordable, autonomous, and sustainable access to space. The shift from “government-only launches” to a national space ecosystem is not optional; it is essential for India’s future as a major space power.

Related articles:

• Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)
• Indian space programme