Air-breathing rockets, GSLV MkIII star in UPA-II achievements

New Delhi, Jun 1 (PTI) India seeks newer horizons in space
as it readies to test launch its first air-breathing rocket
soon, a step that would make satellite launches cheaper.
In his 'Report to the People', Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh noted the successful flight testing of a new rocket
designed to test futuristic air-breathing propulsion
technology.
"Successful flight testing of new generation high
performance sounding rocket (ATV-D01), conducted on 3rd March
2010 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), SHAR, has
provided a test bed for demonstration of Air-Breathing
propulsion technology," said the report presented by Singh on
achievements of the first year of United Progressive
Alliance-II government.
The ATV-D01 carried a passive scramjet engine combustor
module designed to test air-breathing propulsion technology.
The new rocket will drastically reduce the cost of launch
vehicles as scramjet engines use oxygen in the atmosphere to
propel the spacecraft unlike conventional rockets that carry
both oxygen and chemical fuel on board.
Singh also listed the success of the static tests of next
generation satellite launch vehicle GSLV Mark III among
achievements of the government in the fields of science and
technology.
"The large solid stage motor S-200, which successfully
underwent static tests at SDSC on 24th January 2010 is the
third largest solid booster in the world. S-200 is used in
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III," it said.
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