ISRO conducts test of hypersonic vehicle
- Recently Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully tested Joint hypersonic vehicle with Headquarters Integrated Defense Staff (HQ IDS).
- During this test, the vehicle has demonstrated high performance and all the required parameters have been achieved.
Hypersonic Vehicle
- A hypersonic vehicle is a vehicle capable of traveling at speeds greater than Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). It can be an aeroplane, missile or spacecraft.
- Countries such as China, India, Russia and the US are making great efforts to enhance their capability to develop hypersonic missiles.
India’s efforts to develop hypersonic vehicles
- Indian scientists are currently developing hypersonic missiles in collaboration with Russia.
- Apart from this, Indian scientists are also working on the development of an indigenous, dual-capable hypersonic cruise missile under the ‘Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle’ (HSTDV) program.
- The dual-capable hypersonic cruise missile missiles are capable of delivering both nuclear and conventional warheads.
Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle-
- In 2020, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV).
- In this ‘Hypersonic Air-breathing Scramjet’ technology has been used.
- This aircraft can travel on its intended flight path at 6 times the speed of sound i.e. Mach-6.
- The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft capable of delivering hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles as well as small satellites at an affordable cost.
- It reached a speed of Mach 6 for 23 seconds during the trial run.
Source – The Hindu
