In a first for the country, IIT Kanpur builds hypervelocity test facility to aid in defence research

In a commendable feat for IIT Kanpur and a first for the country, the institute has established a Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility. A major push for India's hypersonic testing capabilities, this facility, called S2 and nicknamed 'Jigarthanda', has also been tested successfully.

The 24-meter-long facility can generate flight speeds between 3km/s and 10 km/s, simulating hypersonic conditions experienced during atmospheric entry of ballistic missiles, vehicles, asteroids and scramjet flights. This, in turn, renders it a valuable testing facility for missions of ISRO and DRDO that are underway, including RLV, Gaganyaan and hypersonic cruise missiles.

The facility, that was designed indigenously and developed over a three-year duration, had received collective funding by the Aeronautical Research and Development Board (ARDB) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

"It represents a tremendous achievement for IITK and a major capacity boost for India's space and defence sectors. With sophisticated hypervelocity testing capabilities now available domestically, India is better positioned to develop advanced hypersonic technologies and systems," IITK took to X to announce.

Tucked away at IIT-K’s Hypersonic Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory (HEAL) within its Department of Aerospace Engineering, the S2 facility "will empower India's space and Defence organisations with domestic hypersonic testing capabilities for critical projects and missions," Professor S Ganesh, Director of IIT-Kanpur, said.

The noteworthy feat promises to cement India's position in the global hypersonic research community and assist in overall defence and space research for the country.