Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieves 1,200-second scramjet runtime

Key facts

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieved a 1,200-second runtime of its actively cooled scramjet full-scale combustor.
• The test was conducted at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) facility of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad.
• The hypersonic cruise missile is capable of exceeding five times the speed of sound, which is over 6,100 km per hour.
• The engine utilises an indigenously developed liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel jointly developed by DRDL and industry partners.
• An advanced ceramic Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) capable of operating beyond the melting point of steel was jointly developed by DRDL and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).