The test of ISRO’s scramjet rocket engine, capable of taking atmospheric air and jumping, has been successful. The Rohini 560 rocket was tested using an advanced technology vehicle developed by ISRO with a scramjet engine. India becomes the fourth country to test flight with scramjet engine. Other countries with this advantage are America, Russia and Japan.
The technology was tested by modifying the Rohini 560 (RH560) sounding rocket as an Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) with propulsion on both sides. ISRO announced that the test which was conducted at Sriharikota at 7.30 am on Monday was a success.
In a typical rocket, two tanks store the fuel for thrust and the oxidizer for the oxygen needed to burn the fuel. An ATV will only have a fuel tank. The fuel is ignited with the help of oxygen drawn from the ambient air using an air breathing propulsion system.
As the rocket reaches hypersonic speed, the oxygen in the air is compressed by the pressure of the rocket and converted into an oxidizer. This will help the hydrogen fuel to burn. The first test of breathing propulsion technology was done in 2016. The performance of the engine is measured by evaluating around 110 parameters. The data obtained from this will be used for the next stage of development of the propulsion system.
