Avatar
The 'Aerobic Vehicle for hypersonic Aerospace transportation' (AVATAR) is a hyperplane concept from India. It is planned to be the size of a MiG-25 fighter and would be capable of delivering a 500 kg to 1000 kg payload to low earth orbit at a rather petty rate of $67 per kg, assuming an airframe life of 100 launches. Weighing only 25 tonnes - 60 per cent of which is liquid hydrogen fuel - Avatar is said to be capable of entering into a 100-km orbit in a single stage and launching satellites weighing up to one ton. It is also said that the AVATAR will make space solar power (SSP) stations affordable providing a global solution for the coming energy crisis. The idea being that a string of satellites in space will convert sunlight into microwaves and beam to earth where it will be turned into electricity. Till now, SSP stations were unimaginable because of high cost of space launches but Avatar can change that, Indian scientists promise.
The AVATAR currently exists only in conceptual stage. The initial development budget is only $5 million, but project supporters claim that the vehicle can be built in ten years with total funding of under $2 billion. Designers admit, however, that international assistance would be required for the project to reach its goal. Both the scramjet engine concept and the liquid oxygen collection process have already undergone successful tests at DRDO and at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. DRDO has approved further testing of the liquid oxygen process and assigned a team to conduct a detailed review of the vehicle's design.
India had been a pioneer in Space science during the Vedic ages, and continues to maintain the proud legacy to this day. In the forthcoming years, one can see India rising as a commercial powerhouse in the field of Space science providing satellite services and payload services to many nations who cannot afford to build rockets and satellites by themselves.
The sky's definitely not the limit for India!
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