DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) successfully test-fired the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) on Monday morning from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha to demonstrate hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology.
On this successful demonstration, the country enters into the hypersonic regime paving way for advanced Hypersonic Vehicles.
“The hypersonic cruise vehicle was launched using a proven solid rocket motor, which took it to an altitude of 30 kilometers (km), where the aerodynamic heat shields were separated at hypersonic Mach number,” said DRDO in a press release.
From the test, DRDO concluded that the scramjet engine performed in a textbook manner and that “the hypersonic combustion sustained and the cruise vehicle continued on its desired flight path at a velocity of six times the speed of sound i.e., nearly 2 km/s for more than 20 seconds. The critical events like fuel injection and auto ignition of scramjet demonstrated technological maturity.”
Various parameters of the launch and cruise vehicle, including the scramjet engine, was monitored by multiple tracking radars, electro-optical systems, and Telemetry Stations. A Ship, deployed in the Bay of Bengal, monitored the performance during the cruise phase of the hypersonic vehicle.
“The scramjet engine worked at high dynamic pressure and at very high temperature,” said DRDO. “All the performance parameters have indicated a resounding success of the mission.”
“I congratulate to DRDO on this landmark achievement towards realizing PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. I spoke to the scientists associated with the project and congratulated them on this great achievement. India is proud of them,” tweeted Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence (MoD), India.
“With this success, all critical technologies are now established to progress to the next phase,” he added.
It was a major breakthrough achieved by the scientists making India only the fourth in the world with such capabilities after the United States, Russia, and China. The scientists can now move on to developing hypersonic systems in both the defense as well as the civilian sector.
The technology can be used to develop both offensive and defensive hypersonic cruise missile systems and can also be implemented in the space sector for launching small satellites at a low cost.
Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr. G Satheesh Reddy congratulated all the Scientists, Researchers, and other personnel-related to the HSTDV mission “for their resolute and unwavering efforts towards strengthening the Nation’s defense capabilities.”