SKYROOT SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRES STAGE-2 OF VIKRAM 1 SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLE

Skyroot Aerospace, a space-tech company, conducted a successful test-fire of Stage-2 of its Vikram-1 space launch vehicle, Kalam-250, at ISRO's propulsion testbed in Sriharikota.

1. Company: Skyroot Aerospace (India-based)
2. Achievement: Successful test-firing of Stage-2 "Kalam-250" engine for the Vikram-1 orbital rocket.
3. Importance of Stage-2: This stage is critical for propelling the rocket from the atmosphere into outer space.

Space launch vehicles consist of multiple stages: main stage followed by subsequent ones. Stage-2 is a critical stage in the ascent of the launch vehicle, as it propels it from atmospheric phase to the deep vacuum of outer-space In simple terms : Space rockets have different parts called stages. The main stage is like the first gear in a car. Then, there are other stages that come after it. The second stage is a big deal because it takes the rocket from the air into the vacuum of space.

 

4. Milestone: This marks a major step towards India's first private orbital rocket launch.
5. Technical Details:

1. Test lasted 85 seconds
2. Peak thrust of 186 kilonewtons (kN), expected to increase in a vacuum
3. Engine features a carbon composite rocket motor, which uses solid fuel and a high-performance Ethylene-Propylene-Diene terpolymers (EPDM) Thermal Protection System (TPS)
4. Thrust vector control system tested for precision steering.
5. The solid propellant in Kalam-250 was processed by Solar Industries at their Nagpur facility. Skyroot had previously tested Kalam-100, the third stage of Vikram-1, which was test-fired successfully in June 2021.

Key Points

1. The Kalam-250 is a powerful, domestically produced engine.
2. Skyroot previously succeeded in a suborbital launch in 2022 of Vikram-S.
3. Collaboration with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is evident in the use of their test facilities and technology.
4. Skyroot aims for a full orbital launch of the Vikram-1 rocket in 2024

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