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SDAL Develops Third-Stage Propulsion System for Vikram-1 Rocket, Boosting India’s Private Space Ambitions.

Science and Technology | Dated: 09 Apr 2025

On April 5, 2025, Nagpur (Maharashtra)-based Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries India Limited (SIIL), successfully developed the propulsion system—including the igniter and third-stage rocket motor—for the Vikram-1 Satellite Launch Vehicle.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - The third-stage rocket motor plays a vital role in propelling Vikram-1 beyond Earth's atmosphere into space, marking a crucial milestone in India's private space sector.
  • - To ensure maximum reliability and safety for space deployment, the rocket motor underwent extensive Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), including X-ray imaging, ultrasonic inspection, and magnetic particle testing, at SDAL’s state-of-the-art facility in Nagpur.
  • - The third-stage rocket motor developed by SDAL has a propellant mass of 2,400 kg and delivers a maximum thrust of 75,000 Newtons (around 7.65 tons). It supports payloads of up to 290 kg into a 500 km Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) or 480 kg into a 500 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO). For high-precision space maneuvering, it is equipped with a high-performance igniter and a flex nozzle-based Thrust Vector Control (TVC) mechanism, enhancing control in a vacuum environment.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) The Vikram-1 is India’s first privately built orbital rocket, currently under development by Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited, based in Hyderabad (Telangana).
  • (ii) The project receives strategic support from ISRO (Bengaluru, Karnataka) and IN-SPACE (Ahmedabad, Gujarat), both functioning under the Department of Space, Government of India (GoI).
  • (iii) The Vikram-1 rocket features a four-stage configuration comprising the Kalam-1200 solid motor in the first stage, followed by the Kalam-250 solid motor in the second stage, a third-stage solid rocket motor developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), and concludes with a liquid-fueled Raman engine in the fourth stage, which is responsible for precise final orbital adjustments.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Recently, which organization developed the third-stage propulsion system for the Vikram-1 Satellite Launch Vehicle?

Correct Answer: SDAL

🚀 Quick Recap:

About Solar Industries India Limited (SIIL)

  • MD & CEO : Manish Satyanarayan Nuwal
  • Headquarters Nagpur, Maharashtra