Ground-based real-time auto commanding system for ISRO advanced technology vehicles

In general, space transportation systems are expendable, resulting in huge launch cost. To meet the future challenge of low-cost access to space, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) envisaged plans to develop systems that are recoverable and reusable, besides adopting effcient propulsion systems like air-breathing rockets. Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) D01 is ISRO´s new-generation high-performance sounding rocket vehicle offering a cost-effective test bed for demonstrating air-breathing propulsion. Experiments with scramjet technology testing are carried out at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. For this experiment, ATV-D01 is confgured as a two-stage, un-guided, spinning, fin-stabilized vehicle with two protruding passive scramjet engines. The authors describe the design and implementation of real-time event activation command generation, uplinking methodology, and validation practices, followed by results of the ATV-D01 test flight at SDSC SHAR.