Title : INDIA'S FIRST PRIVATELY BUILT CRYOGENIC ENGINE
Date : Dec 07, 2021
Description :
GS III
Topic à Scientific Interventions related issues
Context:
The upper stage of Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-2 launch vehicle was demonstrated.
The cryogenic rocket engine is 3D printed and manufactured entirely in India.
It was named after Satish Dhawan, the third chief of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He was a pioneer in India's development of improved launch capability.
About the Vikram's Rocket:
Vikram Rocket is named after Indian space pioneer Vikram Sarabhai, who launched the country's ambitious space programme.
He was also involved in cutting-edge nuclear research.
The rocket is powered by a mixture of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which is more than 90% methane. Liquid Natural Gas and Liquid Oxygen are used together.
It is known as "Methalox" in its combined form, which forms a cryogenic rocket fuel.
The combination gives high performance while remaining low-cost. The fuel is safe for the environment.
As a result, Skyroot Aerospace engineers have called this fuel "Fuel of the Future."
About the Dhawan-1 Engine:
The vacuum thrust of the Dhawan-1 engine is approximately 1.5kN.
At Solar Industries in Nagpur, the engine was put to the test on a specially built testbed.
The engine is part of the Vikram-2 launch vehicle's upper stage.
It makes use of LNG and LOX, two environmentally favourable fuels.
It's completely 3D printed. Satish Dhawan's name has been given to the engine.
About the Satellite Pixxel 1:
In 2022, the Pixxel 1 satellite will be launched.
It will be the first private satellite in a low-Earth-orbit Earth-observation constellation.