DRDO successfully tests Hypersonic Vehicle, propels India to join elite club of nations
Sep 07, 2020
New Delhi [India], September 7 : In a landmark achievement, the DRDO on Monday successfully flight tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha.
DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy described it as a 'major technological breakthrough' and said it puts India in a selected club of nations who have demonstrated this technology.
"It's a major technological breakthrough in country. This testing paves the way for development of more critical technologies, materials & hypersonic vehicles. This puts India in a selected club of nations who have demonstrated this technology," said G Satheesh Reddy.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too congratulated the DRDO for successfully flight testing the indigenously developed HSTDV.
"The @DRDO_India has today successfully flight tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle using the indigenously developed scramjet propulsion system. With this success, all critical technologies are now established to progress to the next phase," he tweeted.
"I congratulate to DRDO on this landmark achievement towards realising the Prime Minister'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," the Defence Minister said in another tweet.
A Defence Ministry release said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully demonstrated the hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology with the flight test of Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV) at 1103 hours from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha today.
"The hypersonic cruise vehicle was launched using a proven solid rocket motor, which took it to an altitude of 30 kilometres (km), where the aerodynamic heat shields were separated at hypersonic Mach number. The cruise vehicle separated from the launch vehicle and the air intake opened as planned," the Defence Ministry release said.
The Ministry said 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/second for more than 20 seconds.
The critical events like fuel injection and auto ignition of scramjet demonstrated technological maturity, the release said while adding that the scramjet engine performed in a text book manner.
"The parameters of launch and cruise vehicle, including scramjet engine was monitored by multiple tracking radars, electro-optical systems and Telemetry Stations. The scramjet engine worked at high dynamic pressure and at very high temperature," the Ministry said.
A Ship was also deployed in the Bay of Bengal to monitor the performance during the cruise phase of hypersonic vehicle, the Defence Ministry said while adding that all the performance parameters have indicated a resounding success of the mission.
"With this successful demonstration, many critical technologies such as aerodynamic configuration for hypersonic manoeuvers, use of scramjet propulsion for ignition and sustained combustion at hypersonic flow, thermo-structural characterisation of high temperature materials, separation mechanism at hypersonic velocities etc. were proven," it said.
