DRDO tested the Hypersonic Test Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV); Fourth country to do so in the world

India today has become the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to develop and successfully test hypersonic technology. As DRDO announced the test, it is a matter of pride for Indians. People aware of the tech state that India will now be able to develop a hypersonic missile with a scramjet engine in the next five years. The missile will have the capacity to travel at more than two kilometers per second; or six times the speed of sound (Mach 6). It will create a robust defense infrastructure for the country.

DRDO tested the HSTDV from APJ Abdul Kalam testing range (Wheeler Island) in Balasore, Odisha. It conducted the tests at 11.03 am today using the Agni missile booster, which lasted for five minutes. Further, the HSTDV performed on all parameters, including combustion chamber pressure, air intake, and control guidance.

In a historic mission today, India successfully flight tested Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), a giant leap in indigenous defence technologies and significant milestone towards a #sashaktbharat and #atmanirbharbharat.

— DRDO (@DRDO_India) September 7, 2020

What is HSTDV?

The HSTDV is a scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic speed flight. It is unmanned. Besides its utility for long-range cruise missiles of the future, the technology has multiple civilian applications also. India can also use it to launch satellites at a low cost. It is mounted on a solid rocket motor, which will take it to a required altitude, and once it attains certain Mach numbers for speed, the cruise vehicle will be ejected out of the launch vehicle. Subsequently, it will ignite the scramjet engine will automatically.

The Hypersonic Test Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV)

India tested the launch vehicle in 2019, as well. This test gives hope that will further strengthen many critical technologies.

What happened in the test today?

According to DRDO, it launched the hypersonic cruise vehicle using a solid rocket motor, which took it to an altitude of 30 kilometers (km). There, it separated the aerodynamic heat shields at the hypersonic Mach number. The cruise vehicle separated from the launch vehicle and the air intake opened. The hypersonic combustion sustained and the cruise vehicle continued on its desired flight path at a velocity of six times the speed of sound i.e., nearly 02 km/second for more than 20 seconds

The critical events like fuel injection and auto ignition of scramjet demonstrated technological maturity. DRDO said that the scramjet engine performed in a textbook manner. Multiple tracking radars, electro-optical systems, and telemetry stations also monitored the test and saw that the test was a "resounding" success.

On this successful demonstration, the country enters into the hypersonic regime paving way for advanced hypersonic Vehicles.