Missile and System

A missile is an intelligent unmanned rocket designed to carry the

payload to a designated point with an aim of destroying the
object/target. The missile is designed keeping in mind its target,
trajectory, warhead, range, velocity and launch platform.
The major technologies/mechanisms used in a missile are:
 Propulsion system
The propulsion system in a missile is required to achieve
terminal conditions like range, speed and warhead carrying
capability. The missile is propelled either by rockets or jet
engines using solid or liquid fuel. Some missiles use hybrid
technology for propelling it to its intended point
 Guidance system
The function of the guidance system is to maintain the missile in
its desired flight path by using altitude control mechanism. This
is done by controlling the pitch, roll and yaw of the weapon. The
guidance system operates as an auto-pilot, damping out
fluctuations that tend to deflect the missile from its intended flight
path.
In some missiles, the guidance commands are generated
internally by the missile’s computer. In others, the commands
are transmitted to the weapon by some external source
 Aerodynamic features to include air frame, wings and fins
The aerodynamic features of a missile, also called controlling
surfaces, are used to control the missile’s flight. The fins,
wings and tail are the three major aerodynamic control
surfaces used to steer the missile. The missile’s course can
be altered by moving these controlling surfaces.
 Terminal guidance in case of precision guided weapons
In case of precision weapons, the target seeker comes into
picture when the missile starts detecting its target. The
mechanism also works to determine the time of activating the
warhead. After finding out the target, the device sends an
electrical impulse to trigger the activation system. The target
 seeker is based either on radar or infra-red (IR) or laser
devices.
 Warhead
The warhead of a missile is selected keeping in mind its target
type. It inflicts damage on the target and hence determines the
missile’s lethality. An optimum position of burst is used to
achieve the desired effect on the target limits – the closer the
burst to the target, the smaller the warhead needed. In other
cases where the missile is required to cause destruction on
hard targets, before detonation of warhead, penetration is
achieved by employing a variety of technologies.

Classification of Missile
Missiles are generally classified on the basis of their Type, Launch
Mode, Range, Propulsion, Warhead and Guidance Systems.
Type:
 Cruise Missile
A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled (till the time of
impact) guided vehicle that sustains flight through
aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path and whose primary
mission is to place an ordnance or special payload on a target.
They fly within the earth’s atmosphere and use jet engine
technology. These vehicles vary greatly in their speed and
 ability to penetrate defenses. Cruise
missiles can be categorized by size,
speed (subsonic or supersonic), range
and whether launched from land, air,
surface ship or submarine.
Depending upon the speed such
missiles are classified as:
1) Subsonic cruise missile
2) Supersonic cruise missile
3) Hypersonic cruise missile
 Ballistic Missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that has
a ballistic trajectory over most of its
flight path, regardless of whether or
not it is a weapon-delivery vehicle.
Ballistic missiles are categorized according to their range,
maximum distance measured along the surface of earth's
ellipsoid from the point of launch to the point of impact of
the last element of their payload. The missile carry a huge
payload. The carriage of a deadly warhead is justified by the
distance the missile travels. Ballistic missiles can be
launched from ships and land based facilities. For example,
Prithvi I, Prithvi II, Agni I, Agni II and Dhanush ballistic
missiles are currently operational in the Indian defense
forces
Launch Mode:
 Surface-to-Surface Missile
 Surface-to-Air Missile
 Surface (Coast)-to-Sea Missile
 Air-to-Air Missile
 Air-to-Surface Missile
 Sea-to-Sea Missile
 Sea-to-Surface (Coast) Missile
 Anti-Tank Missile
Range:
  Short Range Missile
 Medium Range Missile
 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
Propulsion:
 Solid Propulsion
 Liquid Propulsion
 Hybrid Propulsion
 Ramjet
 Scramjet
 Cryogenic
Warhead:
 Conventional
 Strategic

Rocket
A rocket is a vehicle, missile or aircraft which obtains thrust by
the reaction to the ejection of fast moving fluid from within a
rocket engine.
There are many different types of rockets, and a
comprehensive list can be found in spacecraft propulsion - they
range in size from tiny models such as water rockets or small
solid rockets that can be purchased at a hobby store, to the
enormous Saturn V used for the Apollo program.
Most current rockets are chemically powered rockets (internal
combustion engines) that emit an exhaust gas.
A chemical rocket engine can use solid propellant (as does the
Space Shuttle's SRBs), liquid propellant (as does the Space
shuttle main engine), or a hybrid mixture of both.
A chemical reaction is initiated between the fuel and the
oxidizer in the combustion chamber, and the resultant hot
gases accelerate out of a nozzle (or nozzles) at the rearward-
facing end of the rocket.
The acceleration of these gases through the engine exerts force
("thrust") on the combustion chamber and nozzle, propelling the
vehicle (in accordance with Newton's Third Law).

Rockets today are generally divided into a few different types.

 Solid-Fuel Rocket
The oldest and simplest of the types of rockets use solid fuel for
thrust. Solid-fuel rockets have been around since the Chinese
discovered gunpowder. This type is “monopropellant,” meaning
several solid chemicals are combined to make a single mixture.
This mixture is then placed in the combustion chamber awaiting
ignition.
One of the disadvantages of this kind of fuel type is that once it
starts to burn there is no way to stop it and thus it will go
through the entirety of its fuel supply until it runs out. Although
relatively easy to store compared to liquid fuels, some
ingredients used for solid fuel, such as nitroglycerin, are highly
volatile.
 Liquid-Fuel Rocket
Liquid-fuel rockets, as the name suggests, use liquid
propellants to create thrust. First developed by Robert H.
Goddard, the man touted as the father of modern rocketry, it
was successfully launched in 1926. The liquid-fuel rocket also
propelled the space race, first sending Sputnik, the world's first
satellite, into orbit with the use of the Russian R-7 booster, and
finally culminating with the launch of Apollo 11 using the Saturn
V rocket. Liquid-fuel rockets can be monopropellant or
bipropellant in design, the difference being that bipropellant is
composed of fuel and oxidizer, a chemical that allows the fuel to
burn when mixed.
  Ion Rocket
More efficient than conventional as rocket technology, the ion
rocket uses electrical energy from solar cells to provide thrust.
Rather than forcing pressurized hot gas out of a nozzle – which
limits how much thrust you can achieve by how much heat the
nozzle can stand – the ion rocket propels a jet of xenon ions
whose negative electrons have been stripped by the rocket's
electron gun. The ion rocket was tested in space during Deep
Space 1 on November 10, 1998, and again in SMART 1 on
September 27, 2003.
 Plasma Rocket
One of the newer types of rockets in development, the Variable
Specific Impulse Magneto-plasma Rocket (VASIMR), works by
accelerating plasma produced by stripping negative electrons
from hydrogen atoms inside a magnetic field and expelling them
out the engine. Touted to decrease the time it would take to
reach Mars into just a matter of months, the technology is
currently undergoing testing to increase both power and
endurance.
 Different kinds of Rockets Used in India

ISRO has 3 different rockets for different payloads.

1. Polar Satellite Launching Vehicle (PSLV).
 It is a 4-stage rocket with alternate solid and liquid fuel
stages.
 It has 3 variants with different configuration of strap on
boosters
 It is the powerhouse of ISRO.
2. Geosynchronous Satellite Launching Vehicle (GSLV
Mark II)
 It is a 3-stage rocket with solid fuel as its first stage, liquid
fuel as its second stage and cryogenic fuel as its third and
final stage. It has 4 strap on liquid boosters.
 The Cryogenic Engine (CE 7.5) is indigenously built
engine, which is an advanced form of engine.
 It will carry out the manned mission for ISRO.

3. Geosynchronous Satellite Launching Vehicle (GSLV

Mark III)
 It is the newest and most powerful rocket ever built by
ISRO.
 It is a 3-stage rocket with solid strap-ons as its first stage,
liquid fuel as its second stage and cryogenic fuel as its
third and final stage.
 It has 2 successful launches. The cryogenic engine is the
more powerful version of the one used in Mark II.

Retired ones:
 SLV (Satellite Launch Vehicle)
 SLV-Mk 3
 ASLV (Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle)
 GSLV - Mk 1 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle -
Mark 1)
Operational:
 PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)
 PSLV - CA (Core Alone)
 PSLV - XL (Extra Large)
 GSLV - Mk 2
 GSLV - Mk 3
Future:
 GSLV - Mk 4
 RLV (Reusable Launch Vehicle)


 Rockets of the World
Few different rockets from different countries has
mentioned in the table below:
Name of Rocket Owned By

Black Arrow United Kingdom

Minotaur
Juno
Falcon
Vanguard America
Atlas
Titan
Delta
Shavit Israel
Diamant France
Sputnik
Vostok Soviet Union
Energia
N-1
N-I(Nippon) Japan
H-II
Angara-5
R-7 rocket Russia
Soyuz