Skyroot Aerospace, a prominent space technology firm headquartered in Hyderabad, achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting the Stage-2 test of the Vikram-1 space launch vehicle, dubbed Kalam-250, at ISRO’s propulsion testbed in Sriharikota. This accomplishment marks a crucial advancement towards India’s inaugural private orbital rocket launch, building upon Skyroot’s previous suborbital space launch of the Vikram-S in November 2022.
During the 85-second test, the Stage-2 recorded a peak sea-level thrust of 186 kilonewtons (kN), indicating an expected flight thrust of approximately 235kN. The Kalam-250 boasts a robust carbon composite rocket motor utilizing solid fuel, along with an Ethylene-Propylene-Diene terpolymers (EPDM) thermal protection system (TPS). It incorporates a carbon ablative flex nozzle and electro-mechanical actuators for thrust vector control, crucial for guiding the rocket’s trajectory during ascent.
The collaboration with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) saw the integration of their proprietary head-mounted safe arm (HMSA) to ensure safe rocket stage operation. Additionally, the solid propellant for Kalam-250 was processed by Solar Industries at their Nagpur facility. Skyroot had previously achieved success with the testing of Kalam-100, the third stage of Vikram-1, in June 2021.
Stage-2 plays a pivotal role in propelling the launch vehicle from the atmospheric phase into the vacuum of outer space. Pawan Chandana, Co-Founder and CEO of Skyroot, underscored the milestone’s significance for the Indian space industry, highlighting it as the largest propulsion system ever designed and manufactured by the Indian private sector, as well as the first carbon-composite-built motor tested at ISRO.
Naga Bharath Daka, Co-Founder and COO of Skyroot, emphasized the successful validation of the flex nozzle control system during firing as a crucial step towards the maiden orbital launch of Vikram-1 slated for 2024. Skyroot’s progress is attributed to the dedication of its team and the steadfast support from IN-SPACe and ISRO, with a collective focus on achieving further milestones in the upcoming months.
