Skyroot tests third-stage of Vikram-1rocket at Solar Group’s facility
| Date :20-May-2022 |
Staff Reporter
SPACE sector start-up Skyroot Aerospace successfully conducted the full-duration test-firing of the third stage of Vikram-1 rocket at Nagpur-based Solar Group’s facility. Vikram-1 is India’s first privately built satellite launch vehicle, and Nagpur-based Solar Group has made propellant system for it.
The third-stage of Vikram-1 is named ‘Kalam-100’ after ‘Bharat Ratna’ late Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, former President of India. Vikram-1 produces a peak vacuum thrust of 100 kN (or around 10 tons), has a burn time of 108 seconds. The rocket stage is built with high-strength carbon fiber structure, solid fuel, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) thermal protection system, and carbon ablative nozzle.
Satyanarayan Nuwal, Chairman and Non Executive Director, Solar Group, told ‘The Hitavada’ that the test-firing on May 5 was indeed a moment of pride. “Solar Group has made propellant system for the rocket and also conducted testing at Nagpur. This is the first time any private company has made propellant for this type of rocket. We are happy that we could extend all possible support to the young and dynamic team of Skyroot Aerospace,” he said.
Further, Solar Group’s facility has come in for praise from the Russian scientists as well as team of BrahMos Aerospace who recently visited the facility, he said. “India needs to make these things indigenously. The focus on indigenisation is good for the country, and we are happy to be contributing positively in the process,” said Nuwal.
Meanwhile, the agency reports reaching here quoted Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, as saying that the third-stage of Vikram-1 was a highly reliable stage with no moving parts and high level of automation in manufacturing. The full-duration stage level testing is a major milestone for the development of Skyroot Aerospace’s flagship orbital vehicle Vikram-1. “The stage has delivered excellent performance and this success gives great confidence for our other rocket stages planned to be tested soon,” he was quoted by agencies.
Naga Bharath Daka, Co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace, said that ‘Kalam-100’ was the best-in-class rocket stage of its size, with record propellant loading and firing duration. It uses all carbon composite structure for delivering the best performance.
Manish Nuwal, Managing Director and CEO of Solar Industries India Ltd, told the agencies that it was the largest rocket stage ‘ever designed, manufactured, and tested completely in the Indian private sector’. “We are proud to be a part of this achievement by supporting the propellant processing and static testing at our world-class facilities in Nagpur,” he added.
Eswaran V G, veteran Indian rocket scientist and Vice-President (Propulsion) at Skyroot Aerospace, told the agencies that state-of-the-art technology like carbon composite case, high propellant volumetric loading up to 94 per cent, lighter EPDM-based thermal protection system, and submerged nozzle had been validated through successful static test. A good match of test results with design predictions in the very first attempt, is a testament to team’s capabilities, he said.
Earlier, in January 2021, successful test-firing of solid rocket propulsion stage demonstrator ‘Kalam-5’ -- which was going to be used in India’s first-ever privately designed and developed rocket ‘Vikram-1’ -- had taken place at Solar Group’s facility at Nagpur. ‘Kalam-5’ was a solid propellant motor and used exactly the same propellant, materials, and interface as the third-stage of ‘Vikram-1’ launch vehicle. It was the first of the five Kalam engines that Skyroot Aerospace planned to test.
In what could be termed as a matter of pride for Nagpurians, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has identified Solar Group as one of the leading partners in the field of propellant filling, integration of propulsion motors, pyros, etc to meet the expanding demand in the International market for launching a larger number of satellites annually.
Solar Group company Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) also has emerged as the first private Indian company to successfully test-fire an artillery rocket.
The EEL-manufactured Pinaka rockets were fired at Pokhran range in 2020.
(With inputs from agencies)