Preparations for the ambitious Gaganyaan mission are progressing as scheduled
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has reached a significant milestone in the evaluation of its CE20 cryogenic engine. This engine is used to launch the LVM3 manned launch vehicle as part of the Gaganyaan program.
ISRO completed the last round of ground testing of the engine on February 13 at the test facility at the Mahendragiri complex. The CE20 engine evaluation procedure included a seventh ignition test simulating starting conditions.
Ground testing of the CE20 engine included endurance demonstration testing, durability testing, and performance evaluation under various operating conditions. Indicators such as thrust, mixture composition and pressure in fuel tanks were assessed. It is noted that all tests of the CE20 engine conducted within the framework of the Gaganyaan program were completed successfully.
To confirm compliance with the standards, ISRO conducted 39 fire tests on the CE20 engine under various operating conditions. The total test duration was 8810 seconds, which exceeds the minimum standard qualification requirement set at 6350 seconds.
ISRO has also successfully completed acceptance testing of the flight engine selected for the first Gaganyaan (G1) unmanned mission scheduled for the second quarter of 2024. This engine will be used for the upper stage of the LVM3 manned spacecraft and has a thrust of up to 22 tons and a specific impulse of 442.5 seconds.