The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully conducted its second experimental flight test of Air Breathing Propulsion Technology on July 22, 2024, at 7 a.m. Indian Standard Time (IST).
The test took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, where the propulsion system was mounted on the RH-560 Sounding Rocket and launched to evaluate its performance. This test is a significant step in advancing India’s capabilities in developing efficient propulsion systems for future space missions.
ISRO’s RH-560 Sounding Rocket
The RH-560 is a two-stage solid motor suborbital rocket designed to test new aerospace technologies. It is the heaviest-sounding rocket developed by ISRO so far and serves as a testbed for critical propulsion systems. During this flight, the rocket successfully carried and ignited the air-breathing propulsion systems, demonstrating key advances in this technology.
ISRO monitored around 110 parameters throughout the flight, including the rocket’s overall performance and the ignition of the air-breathing propulsion system. The data collected will be crucial for refining and developing this propulsion technology further, which could improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of future space vehicles.
Before this flight, extensive ground tests took place at various ISRO facilities, including the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), and CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories. These tests ensured the reliability and safety of the propulsion systems before they were integrated into the RH-560 rocket.
Air-breathing propulsion technology aims to use oxygen from the atmosphere during initial flight phases instead of carrying all the oxidizer onboard. This can potentially reduce the weight of rockets and increase their payload capacity, making launches more efficient. ISRO’s progress with these tests highlights India’s growing expertise in next-generation aerospace propulsion.