ISRO successfully test fires hybrid motor to power future rockets

Highlights

The test was conducted at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.
The motor used here is different from the motor which are generally used.
The motor was developed by scientists at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested a hybrid motor that would power its future rockets. The test was conducted at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu supported by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) on Tuesday (September 20).

The motor used here is different from the motor which is generally used. The motor used Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) as fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidizer. Unlike solid-solid or liquid-liquid combinations, a hybrid motor uses solid fuel and liquid oxidizer.

According to ISRO, the test of a flight equivalent 30 kN hybrid motor demonstrated ignition and sustained combustion for the intended duration of 15 seconds. The motor performance was satisfactory. The use of liquids facilitates throttling and the control over the flow rate of LOX enables the re-start capability.

While both HTPB and LOX are green, LOX is safer to handle. The hybrid motor is scalable and stackable, potentially paving the way for a new propulsion system for the forthcoming launch vehicles. The motor was developed by scientists at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).