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Low-cost rocket engine test in March - The Times of India
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The country's first air-breathing propulsion system (ABPS) will be tested in March in Kerala. The air-breathing technology, still in its early stages of development, will engine the ambitious reusable launch vehicle (RLV) programme.
The RLV programme aims at cutting down space budgets by using the same vehicle for subsequent launches. The RLV, sources said, would bring down the launch cost by 1/10 of the existing expenses.
At present, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) incurs between Rs 80 crore and Rs 110 crore for its workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. Together with the cost of the satellite, each launch costs the space agency anything above Rs 500 crore. Similarly, the Geo-synchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) costs in the range of Rs 175 crore-230 crore.
"Apart from bringing down the cost, the reusable concept also reduces weight of the rocket. This would help us launch heavier or multiple objects and attract other nations looking for cheaper launch options to India," sources said. At present, India charges about $20,000/kg to $24,000/kg for offering satellite launches. Isro would be able to bring this cost down considerably once the RLV technology is proven.
Being developed at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the air-breathing system, as its name denotes, uses atmospheric air as oxidizer. In short, rockets will have to only carry the propellant on board instead of tanking fuel and oxidizer adding to the total weight.
Isro is planning to place the ABPS on a sounding rocket in Rohini series, RH 560, for the test flight. The ABPS will suck atmospheric air into its system during the flight on RH 560. Thus, by the time the RLV leaves earth's atmosphere, its engine (or ABPS) would have filled itself with enough oxygen that would power its flight to the designated orbit. The RLV will then re-enter earth's atmosphere and land either like a conventional aircraft or with the help of a parachute. "After an initial test flight, it will be used in RLV," VSSC director P S Veeraraghavan told TOI.
The development of advanced ABPS is still in nascent stages in many countries including Australia, Japan and China, except the US which had carried out an in-flight experiment of supersonic combustion, said scientists at VSSC. "Our RLV would take another year before it is test flown," said VSSC associate director and head of technology transfer group John P Zachariah.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The country's first air-breathing propulsion system (ABPS) will be tested in March in Kerala. The air-breathing technology, still in its early stages of development, will engine the ambitious reusable launch vehicle (RLV) programme.
The RLV programme aims at cutting down space budgets by using the same vehicle for subsequent launches. The RLV, sources said, would bring down the launch cost by 1/10 of the existing expenses.
At present, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) incurs between Rs 80 crore and Rs 110 crore for its workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. Together with the cost of the satellite, each launch costs the space agency anything above Rs 500 crore. Similarly, the Geo-synchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) costs in the range of Rs 175 crore-230 crore.
"Apart from bringing down the cost, the reusable concept also reduces weight of the rocket. This would help us launch heavier or multiple objects and attract other nations looking for cheaper launch options to India," sources said. At present, India charges about $20,000/kg to $24,000/kg for offering satellite launches. Isro would be able to bring this cost down considerably once the RLV technology is proven.
Being developed at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the air-breathing system, as its name denotes, uses atmospheric air as oxidizer. In short, rockets will have to only carry the propellant on board instead of tanking fuel and oxidizer adding to the total weight.
Isro is planning to place the ABPS on a sounding rocket in Rohini series, RH 560, for the test flight. The ABPS will suck atmospheric air into its system during the flight on RH 560. Thus, by the time the RLV leaves earth's atmosphere, its engine (or ABPS) would have filled itself with enough oxygen that would power its flight to the designated orbit. The RLV will then re-enter earth's atmosphere and land either like a conventional aircraft or with the help of a parachute. "After an initial test flight, it will be used in RLV," VSSC director P S Veeraraghavan told TOI.
The development of advanced ABPS is still in nascent stages in many countries including Australia, Japan and China, except the US which had carried out an in-flight experiment of supersonic combustion, said scientists at VSSC. "Our RLV would take another year before it is test flown," said VSSC associate director and head of technology transfer group John P Zachariah.
