Skyroot Aerospace successfully test fires its rocket engine

Hyderabad-based space tech startup Skyroot Aerospace on May 19 announced the successful completion of a full duration test-firing of its Vikram-1 rocket engine, the country’s first privately designed and developed rocket. The company announced the completion of the milestone of full duration test-firing of its Vikram-1 rocket stage. The third stage, named Kalam-100 after former President APJ Abdul Kalam, was fired for a duration of 108 seconds.

About the test:

During the test, the rocket produced a peak vacuum thrust of 100 kN (about10 tons) showing its structure built with a high-strength carbon-fibre structure, solid fuel, Ethylene-Propylene-Diene terpolymers (EPDM) thermal protection system, and carbon ablative nozzle.

The rocket’s stage was tested at the facilities of Solar Industries India Ltd, one of the investors in Skyroot. This is the largest rocket stage ever designed, manufactured, and tested completely in the Indian private sector. The rocket stage is built with high-strength carbon fibre, solid fuel, EPDM thermal protection system, and carbon ablative nozzle, the statement said, adding that the stage has no moving parts and was manufactured using automation.

This is best in class rocket stage of this size, with record propellant loading and firing duration, and using all-carbon composite structures for delivering the best performance