Nabhyan Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based space startup, said on Thursday it had completed a 120-second test firing of its 3D-printed rocket engine, the longest run in the company's history and the full duration planned for the engine's role in flight.
The engine, called Chakor-1, burns liquid methane and liquid oxygen. Much of it is made as a single 3D-printed metal part, which the company says cuts the number of components and assembly time.
"Two minutes sounds short, but for an engine it is a lifetime," said co-founder and chief engineer Dr Kiran Reddy. "Every second at full power tells us whether the cooling, the injectors and the materials will hold."
Why methane?
- It burns more cleanly than kerosene, leaving less soot inside the engine.
- That makes engines easier to reuse after a flight.
- It can be stored at temperatures close to those of liquid oxygen, simplifying tank design.
The company plans to cluster several of these engines on the first stage of a small launch vehicle designed to carry satellites of up to 300 kg to low Earth orbit. It aims for a first orbital attempt within two years, subject to regulatory approvals.
Nabhyan has about 180 employees and has raised money from venture investors and a state technology fund.
For a look inside the test stand, watch our video of the test firing.
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