Skyroot test fires India's largest privately developed rocket stage ahead of maiden flight of Vikram-1
The static test, conducted at the spaceport under the aegis of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), validated the performance of the 30-tonne booster stage of Skyroot's Vikram-1, which is targeted for its maiden flight later this year, said an official release on Friday night.
Named 'Kalam-1200', after former President and rocket scientist APJ Abdul Kalam, the rocket stage is the largest monolithic solid rocket motor developed in India's space sector. At a length of 11 metres, it can generate nearly 1200 kN of peak vacuum thrust, nearly 10 times as much as that of an engine on a Boeing 737 Max.
The casting of Kalam-1200 — a complex process of pouring and shaping the bespoke solid fuel propellant inside the carbon composite casing — was accomplished by ISRO's SDSC-SHAR.
The static test validated the ballistic performance, burn rate, and thermal protection system of the motor, among other parameters, as well as the composite flex nozzle system.
The flex nozzle system is a steering mechanism for the rocket, controlled by Vikram-1's Mission Computer — the onboard command and control computer that runs the algorithm guiding the rocket autonomously from the launchpad to orbit. The rocket stage was fired for around 110 seconds and generated the desired thrust within the estimated lower and upper bounds throughout its burn time.
During flight, Kalam-1200 will lift Vikram-1 from the launch pad to an altitude of over 50 km, before a precise and advanced pneumatic system enables seamless stage separation, paving the way for the upper stages of the rocket to continue its flight to Earth's orbit.
'Witnessing Kalam-1200 roar to life at the test stand was an exhilarating yet humbling experience. It is the culmination of years of hard engineering by the young team at Skyroot,' said co-founder and CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana.
'It validates the entire stage as an integrated system — from propulsion performance and flex-nozzle actuation to thermal protection and structural integrity,' pointed out co-founder and COO Naga Bharath Daka.
IN-Space chairman Pawan Goenka congratulated Skyroot for 'this landmark achievement' said it 'readies Skyroot to create history with the orbital launch.'
Vikram-1 launch vehicle, designed and developed by Skyroot, is poised to be the first privately developed rocket to reach the orbit in the country. The launch vehicle will provide on-demand and customised launches for global small satellite operators — both in India and the world, added the release.
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