ISRO's scramjet engine test launch. ─ Photo courtesy ISRO website.
ISRO's scramjet engine test launch. ─ Photo courtesy ISRO website.

SRIHARIKOTA: India on Sunday became the fourth country to successfully test launch a scramjet engine, The Hindu reported.

The test flight, which represents a milestone in the ISRO's efforts regarding its future space transportation system, took place at the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre launch pad.

The purpose of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) experimental mission is the realisation of an Air-Breathing Propulsion System that utilises hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the atmosphere as an oxidiser.

ISRO's scramjet engine test launch. ─ Photo courtesy ISRO website.
ISRO's scramjet engine test launch. ─ Photo courtesy ISRO website.

The scramjet engines help reduce launch costs by cutting down on the amount of oxidiser which needs to be carried along with the fuel.

An ISRO official told Indian news agency IANS that the two air-breathing engines hugging an Advanced Technology Vehicle rocket normally start breathing air when the rocket reaches a height of 11 kilometres.

The ISRO said, "With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air-breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated."

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.