HSTDV project is aiming to position India amongst elite club of nations who have already demonstrated this technology successfully

Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) is a professional body which is devoted to the advancement of aeronautical sciences and engineering in India. To promote the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of Aeronautical and Aerospace Sciences/Technologies and to strive for the elevation of Aeronautical and Aerospace profession, AeSI has been organising talks, workshops, seminars, Aero-modelling competitions etc. from time to time. Under this aegis, an expert talk by Dr Debasis Chakraborthy, Outstanding Scientist, DRDL, Hyderabad on the subject "Hypersonic Propulsion" on Friday at HEMRL, Sutarwadi, Pune is organised jointly by Aeronautical Society of India, Pune Branch & DRDO, Ministry of Defence. Students & Scientists from various institutions & academia are participating in this event.

Dr Debasis Chakraborthy, an outstanding scientist at DRDL, is currently the Group Director (Design) and leading the activities of Directorate of Systems, Aerodynamics, Flight Structures, Thermal Engg., Computational Dynamics, HWT & HSTDV. He has been working in VSSC and DRDL for the past three decades. He leads the project HSTDV as Programme Director. He has worked extensively in numerical simulations of high speed reacting & non-reacting flows and provided useful aerodynamics & propulsion design inputs for satellite launch vehicle, strategic and tactical missiles. He received the DRDO Scientist of the Year Award in 2012 & DRDO Award for Best Innovation / Futuristic Development in 2010.

Hypersonic Propulsion Technology is a 'path-breaking' technology. Hypersonic vehicle based on this technology is designed to travel at 6-24 times faster than the speed of sound. With minimum speed, i.e. at 6 Mach, it can reach target placed at 45 km in barely 20 seconds. These vehicles described as 'game-changing vehicle, have a variety of potential applications. From a civil application point of view, these vehicles can be used for the energy-efficient launch of satellites at enormous speed.

Indian defence capability can also be strengthened manifold with the use of hypersonic propulsion technology in the field of a long-range ballistic missile, high-speed reconnaissance drone, air defence interceptor missiles, etc. A hypersonic missile /drone can prove to be a hostile weapon in taking out airborne attack/with improved safety & quick response time, thus giving an edge to our defence forces.

In the last one decade, India’s hypersonic vehicle demonstration vehicle (HSTDV) project has taken a firm shape. HSTDV project is aiming to position India amongst elite club of nations who have already demonstrated this technology successfully. After the US, Russia, Japan, China & European agency, India is striving hard to be included in this club.