Bengaluru, December 12 — The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced a significant achievement with the successful testing of its CE20 cryogenic engine under normal atmospheric conditions.
This success marks a crucial step for future missions, according to ISRO.
The agency stated that on November 29, it conducted a successful ground test of the CE20 cryogenic engine with a nozzle area ratio of 100 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
Developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, the indigenous CE20 cryogenic engine powers the upper stage of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) and is capable of operating at a thrust level of 19 tons.
ISRO noted that this engine has successfully operated the upper stage of six LVM3 missions to date.
Recently, the engine was upgraded to enable a thrust level of 20 tons for the Gaganyaan mission, ISRO's first crewed mission, and is also being prepared for a future CE32 stage with an advanced thrust level of 22 tons to enhance the payload capacity of the LVM3 launch vehicle.
During this test, the engine's igniter, essential for demonstrating restart capability, was also successfully showcased.
ISRO emphasized that testing the CE20 engine at sea level poses significant challenges, primarily due to the high area ratio nozzle, which has an exit pressure of approximately 50 mbar.