ISRO’s experiment on supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine for demonstrating air-breathing propulsion technology
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is looking
forward to performing “an experiment” before July-end aboard its RH-560 rocket
fitted with a supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine for demonstrating
air-breathing propulsion technology.
About:
- At three tonnes, the two-stage RH-560, christened Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), is the heaviest sounding rocket built by the ISRO.
- It will lift off from a launch pad built for sounding rockets at Sriharikota.
Objective:
The ignition of the scramjet engine in flight and holding the
flame steadily for five seconds — when the air from the atmosphere is being
rammed into the engine through an inlet at a supersonic speed of six Mach.
Benefits:
- If the experiment is successful, it will be a stepping stone for the ISRO to achieve low-cost access to space.
- It means reducing the cost per kg of payload when a launch vehicle is used to put a satellite into orbit.
- The cost now is in the range of $15,000-$25,000 for a kg of a satellite.
