Scramjet Technology : GS TIMES IAS-PCS

What is a Scramjet?

A scramjet is an air-breathing jet engine that carries fuel but obtains oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere for combustion.
Unlike conventional rockets, which carry both fuel and oxidiser, scramjets use atmospheric oxygen, reducing the amount of onboard propellant required.
This can reduce vehicle mass and potentially allow a greater payload for the same launch mass.
Scramjets operate at very high speeds within the atmosphere. A booster must first accelerate the vehicle to the required velocity.

Key Concepts

Mach number: The ratio of an object’s speed to the local speed of sound.
Mach 1: Equal to the local speed of sound.
Hypersonic speed: Generally, speeds greater than Mach 5.
Reusable launch vehicles: Vehicles designed to recover and reuse major components, potentially reducing launch costs.

India’s Scramjet Tests

28 August 2016: India flight-tested its scramjet technology, reaching approximately Mach 6. This demonstration placed India among the few countries to have demonstrated scramjet technology.
22 July 2024: ISRO conducted an experimental RH-560 sounding-rocket flight to demonstrate air-breathing propulsion systems and assess their performance.

Scramjet Technology