The Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the
maiden test of an indigenously
developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) along
with several technologies on 12 June.
The HSTDV missile was successfully launched from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the
coast of Odisha. The missile was tracked by various radars, telemetry stations and electro
optical tracking sensors through its course. It HSTDV
being developed by DRDO with assistance from Israel and the UK and Russia.
Aim:
The project aims to serve multiple military
and civil purposes. It also intends to develop a hypersonic vehicle that will
be powered by a scram-jet
engine. The HSTDV demonstrated the performance of a scram-jet
engine at an altitude of 15
km to 20 km.
Scram-jet
technology:
Scram-jet technology is dual-use technology. It
will have multiple civilian applications when developed successfully. Scram-jet technology has
the ability to fly at speeds in excess of Mach
6 while using atmospheric
oxygen as oxidizer.
It will also be available for long-range
cruise missiles. The combustion of fuel takes place in a chamber in the
missile at supersonic speeds, in scram-jet technology. It can be used for
launching satellites at low cost.
Till now, India is using ram jet system. In ranm
jet system, the system collects the air
it needs from the atmosphere during the flight at subsonic
speeds and the propellants
burn in the combustion
chamber.
