Kudos ISRO – Scramjet Engine, Another Accomplishment For India

The Indian space agency undertook the maiden launch of its very own fully ‘Made in India’ reusable space shuttle. The only operational space shuttles were made by America and Russia, all of which are now out of service, but ISRO scientists are now using this concept to considerably reduce the cost of launching satellites into orbit, and thus turning the rocket recycled or usable. France and Japan had made some experimental flights, but the shuttles never went into operation.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday the 28th august, 2016, successfully tested its latest Scramjet engine that is expected to bring down launch costs by up to 10-fold in Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC). The Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) rocket flew at Mach 6 speed (six times the speed of sound), making India one of the four nations to be capable of doing so. 

The scramjet engine, also known as the air-breathing engine because of the technology it uses, was tested with the launch of a big sounding rocket. The scramjet engine, used only during the atmospheric phase of the rocket’s flight, would help in bringing down the launch cost by reducing the amount of oxidiser to be carried along with the fuel.

According to reports, the two air breathing engines were at the sides of the rocket and the scramjet (Supersonic Combustion Ramjet) engines would use the atmospheric oxygen when the rocket reaches a height of 11 km. “The scramjet engines were ignited 55 seconds into the rocket’s flight.

Reportedly, ISRO will also launch ScatSat — a weather monitoring and forecasting satellite — with polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) in September. Though the Indian satellite will be a co-passenger to an Algerian satellite, the two satellites will be put into different orbits.

What a splendid hatrick by ISRO.Mars mission,reusable rocket and now testing the scramjet engine rocket as the fourth nation to have such a feet.India aheads in space research which makes NASA willing for joint ventures with India in space reseach.Kudos to the Indian space scientists for their tireless and unsagging endeavour to march on in space science.