• Skyroot Aerospace, a space-tech company, has successfully test-fired the Stage-2 of Vikram-1 space launch vehicle, called Kalam-250, at the propulsion testbed of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), at its Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

ABOUT VIKRAM-1:

• Vikram-1 is a small-lift launch vehicle being developed by Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian private space company.
• This launch vehicle has a capacity to place 300 kg payloads in the Low Earth Orbit.
• The rocket is an all-carbon-bodied vehicle capable of placing multiple satellites into orbit; it also features 3D-printed liquid engines.
• Globally, Vikram-1 is among ‘elite few’ rockets with the capability to deploy orbital satellites.
• The ‘Vikram’ in the launch vehicles’ name is a tribute to Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space programme.

ABOUT KALAM-250:

• The Kalam-250 rocket motor, which powers the second stage of the Vikram-1 rocket, is made of high-strength carbon composite material, which uses solid fuel and a high-performance Ethylene-Propylene-Diene terpolymers (EPDM) Thermal Protection System (TPS).
• This lightweight yet robust material helps to reduce the overall weight of the rocket while maintaining structural integrity.
• Additionally, the Kalam-250 uses solid fuel propellant, which is a type of rocket fuel that is stable, easy to store, and provides high thrust.
• The combination of carbon composite material and solid fuel propellant makes the Kalam-250 an efficient and reliable rocket motor.