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ISRO successfully carried out an ignition trial of the indigenous CE20 cryogenic engine for the Gaganyaan mission on February 7, 2025, in Tamil Nadu.
The trial tested engine ignition under vacuum conditions, simulating space conditions.
The CE20 engine powers the upper stage of LVM3, crucial for the crewed Gaganyaan mission.
The engine performed as expected during the test, and ISRO aims to explore more advanced restart methods for cryogenic engines.
ISRO is working on enabling multiple restarts of the cryogenic engine during flight for the Gaganyaan mission.
CE20 Cryogenic Engine
It has been designed and developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), a subsidiary of ISRO.
It is the first Indian cryogenic engine to feature a gas-generator cycle.
It is one of the most powerful upper-stage cryogenic engines in the world.
This engine develops a nominal thrust of 186.36 kN in vacuum.
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