ISRO successfully test-fired scramjet engine

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently successfully tested its own scramjet engines from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The mission was successful.

• In this mission, the ISRO has successfully demonstrated its capabilities in critical technologies like ignition of air breathing engines at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems.
• With this, India became the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of a scramjet engines. This mission is a milestone for ISRO’s future space transportation system.

What is scramjet?

Rockets usually carry both fuel and oxidiser for easy combustion. Scramjet engine uses the oxygen from atmosphere to compress fuel, thus reducing the weight of rocket and increasing the efficiency.

• The scramjet engine is used only during the atmospheric phase of the rocket’s flight.
• These engines have no moving parts. Instead of the rotating compressor and turbine in a jet engine, air is compressed and expanded by complex systems of shockwaves under the front of the aircraft, inside the inlet and under the fuselage at the rear.
• The scramjet engine can also liquefy the oxygen and store it on board.
• Scramjet engines will help bringing down launch cost by reducing the amount of oxidiser to be carried along with the fuel.
• Scramjet engines designed by ISRO uses hydrogen as fuel and the oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser.