Ø Expressing solidarity with the new government of Myanmar, India on
Monday said it would support “all its endeavours.” In a wide-ranging discussion
with the Myanmarese President U. Htin Kyaw, who chose India as the first
foreign destination after coming to power in March, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi said India would stand with Myanmar at “every step” as it opened a new
chapter. Chief among the MoUs signed by the two sides was the agreement on
construction of 69 bridges, including approach roads in the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa
section of the Trilateral Highway, which will establish better connectivity
between India and Southeast Asia. The other significant agreement was on the
upgrade of the Kalewa-Yagyi road section.
Ø With an all-party delegation headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath
Singh set to visit Kashmir Valley on September 4, lifting of curfew and
security restrictions on Monday eased life for locals for the first time in 51
days.
Ø The Indian Space Research Organisation joined an elite club when,
on Sunday, it successfully launched a rocket using a scramjet engine that was
developed indigenously. This is ISRO’s first major step towards developing an
air breathing propulsion system. The scramjet engine functioned for around six
seconds. There are many reasons why the use of a scramjet engine is so attractive.
A scramjet engine uses oxygen present in the atmospheric air to burn the
hydrogen fuel. As a result, the amount of oxygen required to be carried on
board would be reduced considerably as atmospheric oxygen is utilised to burn
the fuel in the first stage. In general, propellant accounts for nearly 85 per
cent of the weight of a rocket, and oxygen accounts for nearly 60 per cent of
the weight of the propellant. Scramjet-powered rockets also have several times
greater thrust compared with rockets powered by liquid fuel or even cryogenic
fuel. Since about half of the propellant is required for the first stage to
achieve the required velocity, a rocket using a scramjet engine would be
significantly lighter and smaller and, therefore, cheaper. Alternatively, rockets
fired by scramjet engines will be able to carry more payload. Sunday’s test
flight, which attained six times the speed of sound (Mach 6) and was able to
achieve ignition and maintain stable combustion even at such high velocity for
about six seconds, is a big technological achievement. This is akin to
“lighting a matchstick in a hurricane condition and sustaining the flame” for
six seconds. The air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems were also
successfully demonstrated during the maiden test flight. Since it relies on
oxygen present in the atmosphere, the trajectories of scramjet engine-powered
rockets are vastly different from conventional ones — rockets with scramjet
engines should remain in the atmosphere for a longer period than normal rockets.
Typically, scramjet rockets climb to a certain altitude and remain in the
atmosphere for as long as possible to achieve the required velocity. It will
take many years before a commercial rocket powered by a scramjet engine takes
to the sky as there are several challenges to be overcome. One challenge will
be to test the engine at higher Mach speeds and prolong the period of
combustion. Since the scramjet comes into play only when the rocket goes beyond
Mach 5, an engine that initially works at subsonic speed (as a ramjet) and
later as a scramjet has to be developed. But as in the case of the successful
test flight of a reusable vehicle, the first experimental flight using a
scramjet engine is a technological demonstration of ISRO’s capability and will go
a long way in redefining its position as one of the leading space agencies in
the world.
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