ISRO completes ground tests on LVM3 rocket cryogenic engine
The final test was the 7th of a series of vacuum ignition tests carried out at the High Altitude Test Facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex
image for illustrative purpose
Chennai: The Indian space agency, ISRO, on Wednesday said it has achieved a major milestone in the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine that will power the LVM3 rocket to carry Indian astronauts.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also said the first unmanned Gaganyaan (G1) mission is tentatively scheduled for Q2 of 2024. Gaganyaan is the name of India’s human space mission.
According to ISRO, the final round of ground qualification tests for CE20 cryogenic engine was completed on February 13.
The final test was the seventh of a series of vacuum ignition tests carried out at the High Altitude Test Facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, to simulate the flight conditions. The ground qualification tests for the human rating of the CE20 engine involved life demonstration tests, endurance tests, and performance assessment under nominal operating conditions as well as off-nominal conditions with reference to thrust, mixture ratio, and propellant tank pressure, ISRO said.
All the ground qualification tests of the CE20 engine for the Gaganyaan programme have been successfully completed.
In order to qualify the CE20 engine for human rating standards, four engines have undergone 39 hot firing tests under different operating conditions for a cumulative duration of 8,810 seconds against the minimum human rating qualification standard requirement of 6,350 seconds, the Indian space agency said.
