Hydrabad City-based spacetech startup Skyroot Aerospace said it has successfully test-fired a solid propulsion rocket stage, Kalam-5, named after India’s missile man and former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The firm even mentioned that Kalam-5 is the first of five Kalam series of solid rocket motors, while the rest four are expected to be tested next year.
The testing was performed at a private test unit in Nagpur, powered by Skyroot’s investor Solar Industries, on December 22. The startup stated, with this testing it has become India’s first private player to have successfully designed, developed and tested a full solid propulsion rocket stage.
"Kalam-5 is a demonstrator solid rocket propulsion stage with exactly the same propellant, materials, and interfaces as the three solid propulsion stages of the Vikram-1 launch vehicle. It gives a peak Sea Level thrust of 5.3kN and designed to take 66 atmospheres and 30,000 C of combustion pressure and temperature respectively,” as per statement Skyroot Aerospace's CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana.
The Skyroot Aerospace's solid propulsion rocket stage has been built with an advanced carbon composite structure, which is five-times lighter than a steel case. This is a completely automated process and indigenous production.
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