BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot testing of the CE20 cryogenic engine for the sixth operational mission of the LVM3 launch vehicle (LVM3-M6) on Saturday.
The test took place at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri. Cryogenic engines undergo hot testing before every mission as part of the flight acceptance process. Until now, these tests were conducted at the High-Altitude Test (HAT) facility at IPRC, where vacuum conditions are simulated using complex installations, limiting the test duration to 25 seconds.
However, in this latest test, the engine was fired for an extended duration of 100 seconds for the first time under non-vacuum conditions using an innovative Nozzle Protection System.
The method significantly reduces the setup time and effort required for flight acceptance testing, enabling faster delivery of cryogenic stages. The CE20 engine met all test objectives. The engine will now be integrated into the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the LVM3-M6 launch vehicle, scheduled for liftoff in the second half of 2025.