ISRO working on environment-friendly fuels for its rockets

The Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, K Sivan has informed that the Indian space rockets are ready to go green as the space agency has been working to replace its existing hazardous fuel with environment-friendly and non-hazardous fuels for its satellites and rockets.

ISRO Chief also informed that the space agency has been looking at the green propulsion through hydrogen peroxide in its rocket that will take Indians into space under its ambitious ‘Gaganyaan’ mission. He further added that since humans will be inside the rocket, there should only be non-hazardous fuel to power the human space mission’s rocket.

ISRO’s plan of developing green fuel:

The space agency has also been looking at the rocket engines that are powered by hydrogen peroxide as a bi-propellant or as a mono-propellant along with ethanol. It has also been developing another green fuel- LOX/Methane-where liquid oxygen will work as oxidizer and methane as fuel.

This propellent also has advantages in terms of storability, specific impulse, cost, and low toxicity.

ISRO to replace its liquid engine fuels with green-fuel powered ones:

As per the ISRO Chief, the space agency has also been looking to replace its existing liquid engine fuels with environment-friendly fuel-powered ones. ISROSENE has been developed by the space agency which is a rocket-grade version of Kerosene. It will be an alternative to the conventional hydrazine rocket fuel.

While talking about powering the satellites, ISRO Chief informed that the space agency has been working towards lightweight electrical propulsion in place of the chemical fuel.

Currently, ISRO can put into orbit communication satellites that weigh up to four tonnes with its rockets. Satellites over four tonnes are being orbited using Ariane rocket of Arianespace, a European Space Agency.