DRDO conducts key test for hypersonic missile programme, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• DRDO successfully conducted a long-duration ground test of an actively-cooled scramjet combustor.
• The test was performed at the DRDL’s Scramjet Connect Pipe Test Facility in Hyderabad.
• The scramjet combustor demonstrated sustained performance for over 12 minutes.
• This achievement places India among the leaders in hypersonic aerospace technologies.

Detailed Insights:

• This test is a milestone for India's hypersonic missile program, showcasing advanced technological capabilities.
• Scramjet technology allows for sustained hypersonic combustion, critical for long-range missile development.
• The DRDL’s Scramjet Connect Pipe Test Facility is a state-of-the-art facility that enables testing of advanced aerospace technologies.
• Hypersonic technology has both military and civilian applications, including advanced propulsion systems and high-speed transportation.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Scramjet: An air-breathing jet engine that operates at supersonic airflows, enabling hypersonic speeds.
• Combustor: A component of an engine where fuel is burned with air to produce hot gas for propulsion.
• Hypersonic: Speed exceeding five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), or approximately 6,174 km/h.