India To Conduct Air-Breathing Propulsion Experiment

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is readying to conduct air-breathing propulsion experiment next week using its RH-560 rocket fitted with a supersonic combustion ramjet (Scramjet) engine.

The air-breathing propulsion test would take place on August 28, The Hindu reported Thursday.Later, the GSLV-F05 rocket with an indigenous cryogenic engine would lift-off on September 8, ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said. Further, a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will lift off on September 26, he added.

While these three missions would take place from Sriharikota, an Ariane-V launch vehicle from Arianespace will put India’s communication satellite, GSAT-18, into orbit from Kourou in French Guiana on October 4.

ISRO is looking ahead to conducting the air-breathing propulsion test. The test was to have been done on July 28 but the search by the Indian Air Force and the Navy for the IAF’s transport aircraft An-32, which disappeared over the Bay of Bengal has delayed it by a month.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, has developed the engines to be used in the RH-560 rocket.