After the successful nuke deal, indian scientist at IISc Bangalore developed breakthrough technology that will increase the range of missiles and satellite launch vehicles by at least 40%.
Agni III, India’s longest-range missile is capable of hitting targets 3,500 km away after applying this technology its range will increase upto 4,900 km. It became possible by adding a special-purpose coating of chromium metal to the blunt nose cone of launch vehicles and missiles.
Missiles fly at hypersonic velocities (five times the speed of sound) and encounter high atmospheric drag. Chromium coating on the nose of missile works by adding temporary heat and pushing the stagnating air away to create an easier path. Lab experiments shows that atmospheric drag is reduced by 47% and a “conservative estimate” was that this would result an increase of at least 40% of the range. Chromium coating evaporates once the missile has re-entered the atmosphere. It dosn’t require any additional energy to reduce atmospheric drag.
This technology help avert problems which happen in 2003 to the American space shuttle Columbia when it was re-entering the earth’s atmosphere. The disaster was caused by damage to the shuttle’s thermal protection system, killing seven crew members, including indian origin Kalpana Chawla.
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