ISRO successfully conducted an ignition trial of the indigenous CE20 cryogenic engine, which powers the upper stage of LVM3, on February. The test, which simulated engine ignition in the vacuum of space, was carried out with a multi-element igniter under vacuum conditions at the High-Altitude Test Facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said that the test would be advantageous to missions, stating, "We want to restart the cryogenic stage in the flight for mission advantages".

The test involved igniting the engine's thrust chamber with a multi-element igniter in a vacuum, under the tank pressure conditions expected when restarting the cryogenic engine in flight.

The performance of the engine and the facility was normal and as expected.

ISRO is exploring the initiation of turbopumps in bootstrap mode rather than the stored gas system to restart operations in an innovative way.

The CE20 engine has been cleared for use in the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.

The CE20 engine, developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), has already been qualified for 19-22 tons of thrust with a single-start capability.

This vacuum test follows previous successful trials conducted under ground conditions. This test is part of ISRO's broader initiative to enable multiple cryogenic engine restarts during flight missions.

Agencies