Solar Industries successfully tests rocket motor for Vikram-1 SLV
| Date :06-Apr-2025 |
By Niraj Chinchkhede
Establishing its prowess and innovative spirit, city-based Solar Industries on Saturday conducted a successful testing of a high profile rocket motor for Vikram-1 satellite launch vehicle (SLV). A team of the company’s scientists and engineers carried out the test, technically called ‘static test fire of rocket motor with flex nozzle based thrust vector control’, at its facility located on Amravati Road at a distance of 35 km from here.
Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries, achieved this remarkable feat and became the first private player in the country to do so. Till now, India’s national space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) used to carry out such highly technical testing. Sources told ‘
The Hitavada’ that, the company had developed and manufactured the propulsion system along with its igniter for the rocket motor. This rocket motor used for testing had 2,400 kg propellant, which generated a maximum thrust of 75,000 Newton. The test fire lasted for 120 seconds. It was the third stage in which the company scientists tested the performance of flex nozzle. In the previous test, the nozzle was static.
During the test on Saturday, the nozzle of the rocket motor was vectored to establish thrust-vectoring performance. The motor was fully instrumental, and live test data was displayed as well as recorded at the Data Acquisition Centre.
It may be noted that SDAL has established this unique test facility for carrying out the static tests of small to large rocket motors within its premises for satellite launch vehicles (SLVs), rockets and missiles having higher propellant weight and thrust.
The facility is equipped with a data acquisition system for recording of various types of live test data for performance analysis and display.
SDAL is a premium defence and aerospace company involved in development and manufacturing of loitering munitions, unmanned aerial systems, counter drone systems, Pinaka rockets, solid propellant for various missiles and space programmes of the country.
