JNS: Skyroot Aerospace, a private space vehicle firm based in Telangana, has successfully test-fired its 3D-printed Dhawan II engine for 200 seconds. The company has designed the engine for its more powerful vehicle, Vikram II.
The upper stage of the improved version of Vikram-II will be powered by the cryogenic engine that was put through its paces yesterday during testing. The capacity of a rocket to transport a payload can be increased by using a cryogenic upper stage rather than a stage powered by solid fuel.
In November 2022, the Skyroot completed its first voyage into suborbital space. A single-stage Vikram S rocket powered by solid fuel was used for the launch. The Vikram-1 rocket, the first in the series of rockets being developed by the company, will use three solid-fuel stages to take satellites to orbit.
According to a press statement issued by the firm in Hyderabad, Skyroot intends to conduct its first orbital flight before the end of this year. The upgraded Vikram II rocket is expected to be ready for launch by the beginning of the following year. Because of this timeline, the business will be the first private launcher to originate in South Asia.
