India on Monday successfully tested an experimental indigenous Reusable Launch Vehicle from the Sriharikota space port in Andhra Pradesh, ANI reported. The RLV Technology Demonstration, as it is being called, is a sixth of the size of what the actual version will be, and aims to put satellites into orbit and then come back to earth. India is expected to take at least 10-15 years to build the final reusable rocket. This is expected to bring down the cost of satellite launches by 10 times.

The RLV-TD looks like a winged plane and sits on top of a rocket, which will release the RLV into space at a height of 50 km. The shuttle will travel another 20 km, and then at a height of 70 km, begin its descent back to earth.