The first technology demonstrator (TD) launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), or the spaceplane in popular parlance, will take place on May 23 at 9.30 a.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, according to ISRO officials.

Visually, the RLV-TD is a rocket-aircraft combination measuring about 17 m, whose first stage is a solid propellant booster rocket and the second stage is a 6.5 m long aircraft-like winged structure sitting atop the rocket.

A misnomer

However, the popular perception of the technology as a marriage between rocket and aircraft is a misnomer.

In RLV-TD that is awaiting launch at SHAR, the first stage, weighing about 9 tonnes, is merely the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) flown in the 1980s.

The vehicle will take off like a rocket and the RLV will be taken to a height of 70 km and where the booster will release the vehicle to carry out its manoeuvres.

Hypersonic Experiment 1

According to Dr. K. Sivan, director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvanathapuram, where the RLV was designed, assembled and where it underwent basic electrical, hydraulic and “sign check” tests, the objective is to achieve hypersonic speeds to basically test the hypersonic aero-thermodynamic characterisation of the winged body’s re-entry, its control and guidance systems, autonomous mission management to land at a specific location at sea and testing of “hot structures” that make up the structure of the RLV.

The test is, therefore, termed as Hypersonic Experiment 1 (HEX-1).

Complex technology

A conventional launch vehicle (LV), says Dr. Sivan, spends the lowest time of its flight in the atmosphere, whereas the RLV system spends all the time in the atmosphere. Also, while an LV experiences limited flight regime of say Mach 0 to Mach 2 or so, the RLV experiences a much wider range of flight regimes.

Hence the technology of an RLV is much more complex basically arising from the design of the control and guidance systems, he pointed out.

In HEX1, the winged RLV is otherwise a dummy with no powered flight of its own. At the end of the HEX1 mission, the aircraft will land in sea. However, the ultimate objective of the RLV programme of ISRO is to enable the vehicle traverse a very wide range of flight regimes from Mach 0 to Mach 25 based on air-breathing propulsion for achieving two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) launch capability.

The integrated test system (booster plus the RLV-TD) is already at the SDSC (SDSC), Sriharikota. Prior to being moved to Sriharikota, the RLV subsystem underwent acoustic tests at the National Aerospace Laboratories of the CSIR (CSIR-NAL) and the booster went as a separate subsystem directly from VSSC. At SDSC the two were mated together.

Dr. A.S. Kiran Kumar, ISRO Chairman, called the first test launch HEX1 “a very preliminary step” and stressed that “we have to go a long way” before it could be called a re-usable launch system. “But these are very essential steps we have to take,” he said.

Lower cost

Asked whether the Indian reusable launch system was aimed at bringing down the launch cost, the ISRO Chairman said, “It will bring down the cost. Towards that, we will have to work and go through these initial steps,” the Chairman said.

Flying test bed

The present design is basically “a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion using a scramjet engine”, according to ISRO website.

The HEX series of experiments will be followed by the landing experiment (LEX), return flight experiment and scramjet propulsion experiment (SPEX).

The basic design of a scramjet has already been evolved.

A test launch of the engine aboard a sounding rocket, which will achieve a flight regime of up to Mach 8, will take place some place in June at SHAR, Dr. Sivan said.

 

 

International Scholarships for Engineering Students

As future creators of railway lines, waterways, roads and space shuttles, to name some of the first things that spring to mind, engineering students are crucial to the development of society. And to support this future contribution, universities and other organizations offer plenty of engineering scholarships and fellowships.
In recent years, scholarships for engineering students, as well as other STEM scholarships for mathematics, technology and science students, have been becoming more recognized and plentiful in number, allowing many more prospective STEM students to achieve their educational and career ambitions.

Below is a list of current engineering and other STEM scholarships from around the world, to help you find the funding you need.

Asia

India

Here in India IITs  and NIITs are known for offering Post Graduate program for engineering students. they do provide scholarship of approximately 12500 INR. Few universities are providing more than this also. To take admission in these universities you need to appear in GATE .

Japan

KUT PhD Engineering Scholarships for International Students – Scholarships for engineering students studying towards a PhD at Kochi University of Technology (KUT) in Japan.
Ting Hsin Scholarship at Waseda University – Engineering and science scholarships available to master’s degree students at Waseda University in Japan. Students must be from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macau.
Malaysia

Malaysia International Scholarships (MIS) – International scholarships funded by the Malaysian government and awarded to incoming students at Malaysian universities. Priority given to science and engineering students.
Singapore

NTU University Engineering Scholarship – Scholarships for undergraduate engineering students at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore.

Europe

Netherlands

TU Delft Excellence Scholarships – Scholarship opportunities for geosciences and civil engineering students studying at master’s level at TU Delft in the Netherlands.
UK

Arkwright Scholarships Trust – UK registered charity awarding scholarships to high-achieving first-year engineering students in the UK.
IET Awards and Scholarships – Various undergraduate and postgraduate engineering scholarships funded by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and awarded to UK engineering students.
IME Scholarships and Awards – Mechanical engineering scholarships awarded to UK students of all degree levels from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Imperial College London PhD Scholarships in Chemical Engineering – Fully funded scholarships for outstanding engineering students who are starting in 2016.
NI Engineering Scholarship Program – Scholarships for engineering students, computer science students and physics students. Sponsored by National Instruments and open to UK students.
QMUL International Science and Engineering Excellence Awards – Various UK scholarships for international students to study engineering at Queen Mary University of London in the UK.
QUEST Undergraduate Scholarships from ICE – UK scholarships for civil engineering students on any ICE-accredited degree program in the UK. Sponsored by the UK Institution of Civil Engineers.
University of Manchester Engineering Scholarships – Various scholarships to study engineering at undergraduate level at the University of Manchester, for both domestic and international students.
University of Strathclyde Engineering Scholarships – Wide selection of UK scholarships for engineering students studying at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, UK.
Women’s Engineering Society Awards – Various scholarships for women studying engineering in the UK. To find more scholarships for women in male-dominated industries.

North America

US

AACE International Scholarships – STEM scholarships for full-time students completing a degree in engineering or another STEM subject. Separate funds available for US, Canadian and international students.
AFCEA San Diego Scholarship Program – Various scholarships for engineering students, as well as those studying mathematics or science, to study anywhere in the US. Only available to students from San Diego County in California.
AICHE John J McKetta Undergraduate Scholarship – Chemical engineering scholarships for US students, offered by AICHE, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
ANS Scholarships – STEM scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate US students, with a particular focus on students studying nuclear engineering. Funded by the American Nuclear Society (ANS).
ASCE Samuel Fletcher Tapman Student Chapter Scholarship – Civil engineering scholarships open to undergraduate students in the US and sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
ASHRAE Undergraduate Engineering Scholarships – Various science and engineering scholarships for incoming full-time students at accredited US institutions. Funded by ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
ASME Mechanical Engineering Scholarships – Mechanical engineering scholarships for students at all degree levels within the US and outside. Students must be members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Engineers Foundation of Ohio Engineering Scholarships – US scholarships for incoming engineering students residing in Ohio, US. For the academic year 2016/17.
Ford Motor Company Tribal Scholars Program – Mathematics, science, business and engineering scholarships for Native American students studying at undergraduate or graduate level at mainstream US universities or tribal colleges.
IIE Scholarships and Fellowships – Scholarships for engineering students studying at IIE-accredited universities in the US. Funded by the IIE (Institute of Industrial Engineers) and open to US students of all degree levels.
National GEM Consortium Fellowships – Graduate fellowships and scholarships for engineering students studying at PhD or master’s level at a GEM Member University in the US.
NSBE Scholarships – US scholarships for undergraduate and graduate engineering students from the National Society of Black Engineers. Open solely to black students in the US.
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Scholarships – Engineering scholarships for US students at all degree levels from the NSPE.
NEWWA Scholarships – US scholarships from NEWWA (New England Water Works Association), open to engineering students studying at universities in New England in the US.
North Dakota NASA Space Grant Consortium – STEM scholarships available for students pursuing science, technology, engineering and other related subjects which support NASA research and hiring needs. Students must be based in and studying in North Dakota at selected institutions.
Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium – STEM scholarships as above, but aimed at students based within the state of Oregon.
SME Education Foundation Scholarships – Various STEM scholarships for US students at all degree levels.
SWE Scholarship Program – Scholarships for women in engineering studying in the US. Funded by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
TMS Student Academic Scholarships – Scholarships from TMS, (The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society) open to US students studying metallurgical engineering and related programs at both undergraduate and graduate level.
Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States Scholarship Program – Merit-based graduate scholarships for engineering students and other STEM students to study at selected institutions in the US.

Oceania

Australia

Curtin Canning College Engineering International Scholarship – Merit-based scholarships for international students studying engineering at Curtin University in Western Australia.
Australia APEC Women in Research Fellowships – Aims to raise the profile of female role-models in STEM subjects with merit-based scholarships available to pursue research opportunities in partnership with Australian institutions. To be eligible, you must be from one of the eligible Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries.

Anywhere! Globe

Amelia Earhart fellowship – Scholarships for women in engineering studying for a doctorate or PhD in aerospace and engineering programs.
Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships – Postgraduate scholarships for women in engineering, science and other STEM-related studies at universities worldwide. Funded by the Schlumberger Foundation.
CFSR Grants in Science and Engineering for Developing Countries – Grants and scholarships for science and engineering students from developing countries to undertake postgraduate scientific research internationally. Funded by the Canon Foundation.