Bengaluru firm SpaceFields hot-tests Aerospike Engine at Challakere

BENGALURU: In an advancement for India's space technology sector, IISc-incubated startup SpaceFields has successfully completed the hot-firing test of its innovative aerospike solid rocket engine.
The test was conducted at their Propulsion test facility located at IISc's Challakere campus in Chitradurga, some 200km from Bengaluru.
“The test demonstrated impressive performance metrics, with the engine generating a peak thrust of 13.42 kN and achieving a peak pressure of 5 MPa.The engine, measuring 168mm in diameter and 1.36m in length, delivered a total impulse of 32,624.3 Ns,” the firm said.
Powered by HTPB-based composite propellant, the firm said the engine exhibited improved ballistic performance and optimized pressurisation with reduced burn time.
This successful test validates the firm's extensive design work and high-fidelity simulations. The company noted that the characteristic shock profiles and regressive burning curve observed during the test confirmed the engine's performance under dynamic high-pressure combustion conditions. Previously observed chuffing instability issues were successfully resolved through multiple iterations of ignitor refinements.
The startup has also signed an MoU with the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) is actively collaborating with other institutions including Isro's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), space regulator-and -promoter Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and IISc, working towards a potential sub-orbital launch.