Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Skyroot Successfully Test-Fires India’s First Privately Developed Fully-Cryogenic Rocket Engine!

by Staff Correspondent

Skyroot Aerospace successfully tested ‘Dhawan-1’, which is India’s first privately developed fully Cryogenic rocket engine. The engine runs on two high-performance rocket propellants- Liquid Natural gas (LNG) and Liquid Oxygen (LoX).

Cryogenic engines are highly efficient rocket propulsion systems that use propellants at cryogenic temperatures (less than -150° Celsius). Entirely cryogenic engines are highly suitable for the upper stages of a rocket. They have a higher specific impulse that enhances the payload carrying capability. This technology is challenging to master and has been demonstrated only by very few countries.

Skyroot has named its cryogenic engine- ‘Dhawan-1’ in honour of eminent Indian Rocket scientist Dr Satish Dhawan who played an instrumental role in the development of the Indian Space Program.

This test demonstrates the propulsion technology in the upper stage of Skyroot’s orbital vehicle Vikram-2. LNG, which is >90% Methane, has been described as the rocket fuel of the future. Skyroot indigenously developed a mobile cryogenic engine test stand and tested the engine at a one of its kind propulsion test facility at Solar Industries India Ltd. in Nagpur.

Naga Bharath Daka, the Co-Founder and COO of Skyroot Aerospace told Indian Aerospace and Defence, “With this milestone, we have successfully demonstrated all the three propulsion technologies in our Vikram series of space launch vehicles in the first attempt itself, exhibiting great maturity of our team.”

Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-Founder and CEO, Skyroot Aerospace took the occasion to explain how the engine is fuelled, “The engine uses Liquid Natural gas (LNG) and Liquid Oxygen (LoX) at cryogenic temperatures as propellants, which are high performance, low-cost, and green. These are the rocket propellants of the future, and this test makes us one of the very few companies in the world to have successfully demonstrated this technology.”

“The complex engine start and shut-off transients are perfectly smooth, combustion was very stable, and the pressure was rock steady. This is a phenomenal achievement by our team, and we’ve mastered handling two cryogenic fuels,” proudly said Padma Shri recipient V. Gnanagandhi who is a pioneer in cryogenic rocket propulsion in India and heads the Cryogenic propulsion team at Skyroot.

“This is a completely ‘Made-in-India’ cryogenic engine developed using 3D printing with a superalloy, reducing manufacturing time by more than 95%,” Chandana added.

“Designing, realising and testing Cryogenic rocket engine fully in the private sector is a great milestone for the country. Solar industries are proud to partner with Skyroot in carrying out this test successfully in our first of its kind, world-class facility in India. We wish Team Skyroot all the best in their journey to Space.” Manish Nuwal, MD and CEO of Solar Industries India Ltd, about its investment with Skyroot.






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