ISRO had earlier tested such an engine in 2006. India launched its first rocket to Mars on November 5, aiming to reach the red planet at a much lower cost than successful missions by other nations, positioning the emerging Asian giant as a budget player in the latest global space race.
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The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is all set to test launch a Scramjet engine with Air-Breathing Propulsion System (ABPS) technology utilising the RH-560 sounding rocket on Sunday.
“Hearty congratulations ISRO on successful test of futuristic scramjet rocket engine, India is proud of you”, the President tweeted.
The rockets took off at around 6 am, reports said.
The rocket was test launched at 6am in the morning.
Space agencies across the world are focussing on the development of scramjet technology because it contributes to smaller launch vehicles with more payload capacity and promises cheaper access to outer space.
The launch of weather satellite INSAT-3DR on the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-MkII), was postponed from Aug 28 to Sep 8 because “there was a technical issue found with a satellite component”, which has now been sorted out, Director of SDSC P. Kunhi Krishnan told IANS on Saturday.
He said the GSLV rocket that would carry the weather satellite INSAT-3DR is fully assembled.
The Indian satellite will be a co-passenger to an Algerian satellite.
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Both the satellites will be put into different orbits.
