12-Jun-2019: DRDO conducts maiden test of hypersonic technology demonstrator

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden test of an indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) along with several technologies.

The DRDO launched a technology demonstrator vehicle to prove a number of critical technologies for futuristic missions from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.

The missile was successfully launched at 11:27 hours and it was tracked by various radars, telemetry stations and electro optical tracking sensors through its course.

The test was undertaken to validate several technologies including the HSTDV. Some technologies have been validated while some remained inconclusive of which the data is being analysed. In the test, a missile with the technology demonstrator vehicle mounted on it is launched and the vehicle is released only after the missile reaches a certain altitude and velocity.

Under this project, a hypersonic vehicle is being developed that will be powered by a scram-jet engine. This is dual-use technology, which when developed, will have multiple civilian applications. It can be used for launching satellites at low cost. It will also be available for long-range cruise missiles of the future.

In scram-jet technology, combustion of fuel takes place in a chamber in the missile at supersonic speeds. This is different from a ram jet system where the system collects the air it needs from the atmosphere during the flight at subsonic speeds and the propellants burn in the combustion chamber.