Indian DRDO successfully launches indigenous hypersonic vehicle.

Vice President of India, and Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G. Satheesh Reddy have congratulated Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for successfully conducting test flight of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle by using indigenous scramjet engine. « This is an important milestone in our quest towards achieving self-reliance », Vice President of India wrote. (Picture source:
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STDV vehicle lifted off at 1103 hours from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha on September 7 (Picture source: DRDO)

The flight test of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV) has been successful. HSTDV vehicle lifted off at 1103 hours from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha on September 7. The HSTDV was launched using a proven solid rocket motor (SRM), which took it to an altitude of 30 kilometres, where the aerodynamic heat shields were separated at hypersonic Mach number. The cruise vehicle separated from the launch vehicle and the air intake opened as planned. 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 2 km/second for more than 20 seconds.

The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic speed flight. It is being developed as a carrier vehicle for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles, and will have multiple civilian applications including the launching of small satellites at low cost. The research will also inform India's interest in reusable launch vehicles. The eventual target is to reach Mach 6 at an altitude of 32.5 km (20 miles).

Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle technical specifications: flight mach number - 6-7 flight altitude - 30-35 km flight duration - 20 s length - 5.6 m width - 0.8 m weight - 1 t launch option - solid booster salient features: scramjet engine integrated hypercarbon fuel powered hypersonic vehicle can carry a payload of 150 kg development towards futuristic hypersonic cruise missile 

HSTDV model unveiled at ILA 2012 in Berlin (Picture source: Wikimedia)