India comes up with eco-friendly technology in space, surpasses USA and Russia

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Beating space superpowers America and Russia, India has acquired the hybrid technology (hybrid motor) that uses solid fuel and liquid oxidizer in space vehicles for the first time in the world. It is an environment-friendly green technology. The achievement will give India a huge boost in space launch, scientists said.

The ground test of the hybrid engine developed at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram was completed yesterday at the propulsion centre in Mahendragiri. The technique was tested on the motor of a sounding rocket. It ignited for fifteen seconds and achieved a thrust of 30 kilonewtons. There are more tests.

The hybrid motor can be used to stop, restart, decelerate, accelerate and brake the spacecraft. With this, ISRO has taken a step closer to the technology of using rockets repeatedly.

Hybrid fuel

A solid fuel based on the chemical Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB) and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer were used. (Oxygen is provided to burn fuel in rocket engines by oxidizer).

Currently, there are three methods

• Solid fuel and solid oxidizer
• Liquid fuel and liquid oxidizer at room temperature
• A cryogenic engine in which hydrogen is used as fuel and oxygen as oxidizer and ignited after liquifying

Hybrid technology

• Solid fuel and a liquid oxidizer
• As in cryogenics, liquefied oxygen (Liquid Oxygen -LOX) frozen at minus 183 degrees is the oxidizer in the hybrid.
• The solid fuel can be ignited in a controlled manner by passing it through the liquid oxidizer valve.