ISRO has accomplished a major milestone in the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine that powers the cryogenic stage of the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle for Gaganyaan human spaceflight missions, with the completion of the final round of ground qualification tests. ‘ISRO’s CE20 cryogenic engine is now human-rated for Gaganyaan missions,’ the space agency said on X.
Rigorous testing demonstrates the engine’s mettle, it said, adding the CE20 engine identified for the first uncrewed flight LVM3 G1 also went through acceptance tests.
The February 13 final test was the seventh of a series of vacuum ignition tests carried out at the High Altitude Test Facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri to simulate flight conditions, it said. The ground qualification tests for the human rating of the CE20 engine involved life demonstration and endurance tests, and performance assessment under nominal operating conditions as well as off-nominal conditions with respect to thrust, mixture ratio and propellant tank pressure, it said.