More than a year after completing the construction of a prototype engine, Skyroute Aerospace, a firm founded and led by former ISRO scientists, has successfully tested India’s first privately developed fully . cryogenic rocket engine-Dhawan-I’ – running on two high-performance rocket propellants, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX).
The test was for 20 seconds, naga india post, the co-founder and COO told TOI, that a series of tests are planned for the engine in the coming months. “We will be testing for a much longer duration in the coming months and we are confident that Dhawan-I will prove myself there as well,” he added.
As previously reported by TOI, Skyroute embarked on India’s first private project to develop a small fully cryogenic engine in September 2020 with the construction of a prototype engine to be used as a technology demonstrator .
Reiterating that cryogenic engines are highly efficient rocket propulsion systems that use propellant at cryogenic temperatures (less than -150 °C), the firm stated that fully cryogenic engines are highly suitable for upper stages of rockets because of their Has high specific impulse which increases payload carrying capacity.
Mastering this technique is challenging and has been demonstrated by very few countries. V Gyangandhi, one of the pioneers of cryogenic rocket propulsion in the country and now head of the cryogenic propulsion team at SkyRoot, said: “The complex engine start and shut-off transitions are perfectly smooth, the combustion was very stable, and the pressure rock was regular. This is a phenomenal achievement by our team and we have mastered the handling of two cryogenic fuels.”
Skyroot has named its cryogenic engine Dhawan-I in honor of former ISRO chairman Satish Dhawan, a key architect of India’s space program.
The test, the firm added, demonstrated the propulsion technology in the upper stage of Skyroute’s orbital vehicle Vikram-2. Skyroute indigenously developed a mobile cryogenic engine test stand and tested the engine at a first of its kind propulsion test facility at Solar Industries India in Nagpur. Solar Industries is also an investor in Skyroot.
Co-founder and COO Naga Bharat Daka said that with this milestone “the firm has successfully demonstrated all three propulsion technologies in its own right. Vikram Series of Space Launch Vehicles in its very first attempt, demonstrating the great maturity of our team.”
Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO, said that LNG and LOX are high performance, low cost and green, adding: “…these are the rocket propellants of the future, and this test gives us one of the very few Builds. Companies around the world have successfully demonstrated this technology.”
He added that the engine was a completely India-made cryogenic engine developed using 3D printing with Superalloy, which reduced the manufacturing time by more than 95%.
“Designing, realizing and testing cryogenic rocket engines entirely in the private sector is a great milestone for the country. A first of its kind in India, the world’s first ever global rocket engine,” said Manish Nuwal, MD and CEO, Solar Industries India. Solar Industries is proud to partner with SkyRoot to successfully execute this test in class facility.”
The test was for 20 seconds, naga india post, the co-founder and COO told TOI, that a series of tests are planned for the engine in the coming months. “We will be testing for a much longer duration in the coming months and we are confident that Dhawan-I will prove myself there as well,” he added.
As previously reported by TOI, Skyroute embarked on India’s first private project to develop a small fully cryogenic engine in September 2020 with the construction of a prototype engine to be used as a technology demonstrator .
Reiterating that cryogenic engines are highly efficient rocket propulsion systems that use propellant at cryogenic temperatures (less than -150 °C), the firm stated that fully cryogenic engines are highly suitable for upper stages of rockets because of their Has high specific impulse which increases payload carrying capacity.
Mastering this technique is challenging and has been demonstrated by very few countries. V Gyangandhi, one of the pioneers of cryogenic rocket propulsion in the country and now head of the cryogenic propulsion team at SkyRoot, said: “The complex engine start and shut-off transitions are perfectly smooth, the combustion was very stable, and the pressure rock was regular. This is a phenomenal achievement by our team and we have mastered the handling of two cryogenic fuels.”
Skyroot has named its cryogenic engine Dhawan-I in honor of former ISRO chairman Satish Dhawan, a key architect of India’s space program.
The test, the firm added, demonstrated the propulsion technology in the upper stage of Skyroute’s orbital vehicle Vikram-2. Skyroute indigenously developed a mobile cryogenic engine test stand and tested the engine at a first of its kind propulsion test facility at Solar Industries India in Nagpur. Solar Industries is also an investor in Skyroot.
Co-founder and COO Naga Bharat Daka said that with this milestone “the firm has successfully demonstrated all three propulsion technologies in its own right. Vikram Series of Space Launch Vehicles in its very first attempt, demonstrating the great maturity of our team.”
Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO, said that LNG and LOX are high performance, low cost and green, adding: “…these are the rocket propellants of the future, and this test gives us one of the very few Builds. Companies around the world have successfully demonstrated this technology.”
He added that the engine was a completely India-made cryogenic engine developed using 3D printing with Superalloy, which reduced the manufacturing time by more than 95%.
“Designing, realizing and testing cryogenic rocket engines entirely in the private sector is a great milestone for the country. A first of its kind in India, the world’s first ever global rocket engine,” said Manish Nuwal, MD and CEO, Solar Industries India. Solar Industries is proud to partner with SkyRoot to successfully execute this test in class facility.”
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