Hyderabad start-up unveils first privately developed, fully indigenous cryogenic rocket engine

After emerging as India’s first private company to have successfully test fired an upper stage rocket engine, Hyderabad-based space-tech startup Skyroot Aerospace has now unveiled the country’s first privately developed, fully indigenous cryogenic rocket engine that runs on cryogenic rocket propellants liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The company tweeted this achievement on Friday.

“The engine, a scaled up version of which will be used as an upper stage engine for its under development Vikram-2 launch vehicle, has been named Dhawan-I as a tribute to Indian rocket scientist Satish Dhawan on his 100th birth anniversary,” said Naga Bharath Daka, co-founder & COO of Skyroot.

“Dhawan-I is a 100% 3D-printed cryogenic engine with regenerative cooling. This is first among a series of engines being planned with various thrust levels,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, CEO of Skyroot Aerospace.

Pointing out that Dhawan-I is first among a series of engines being planned with various thrust levels by the Hyderabad-based startup, Chandana said that after having successfully completed many tests to check the fuel flow and structural integrity, the company is now building a dedicated test facility for test firing the engines it is developing.

“LNG (>90% Methane) is a clean burning, low cost, highly reusable and safe cryogenic fuel which is also ideal for longer duration deep space missions carrying satellites or humans and is perfectly aligned with the long-term vision of Skyroot to offer affordable and eco-friendly space transportation,” Chandana explained.

Skyroot, which was founded in June 2018 by former ISRO scientists and has a 40-member team, recently became the first private sector player in India to successfully conduct an on-ground test firing of its upper stage rocket engine Raman, named after Nobel Laureate CV Raman.