A Hyderabad-based space rocket company, Skyroot Aerospace has developed a fully cryogenic rocket engine running on two rocket propellants, liquid natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LoX).
The engine was test-fired for about 20 seconds as part of the demonstration.
A team of around 20 rocket engineers worked on this project for nearly two years. They have named the rocket engine ‘Dhawan-1’ after Padma Vibhushan rocket scientist Satish Dhawan.
Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder & CEO, told Times of India that traditionally, liquid Hydrogen has been used but now space agencies, as well as space companies, are working on LNG because it is not only a greener fuel but also more cost-effective as compared to liquid Hydrogen. Even ISRO is working on it.
Cryogenic engines are rocket propulsion systems that use propellants at cryogenic temperatures, which is less than -150 degrees Celsius.
