DRDO’s Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad successfully conducted a 120-second ground test of an active-cooled scramjet combustor.
- The test used endothermic scramjet fuel, which improves cooling and ignition.
- Scramjet engines are air-breathing jet engines that compress incoming air using the vehicle’s forward motion, eliminating the need for a rotating compressor.
- They operate efficiently at hypersonic speeds and allow supersonic combustion.
- This breakthrough is critical for developing next-generation hypersonic missile systems.