Isro’s CE20 engine, veteran of 8 LVM3 flights, cleared for next mission

Isro’s CE20 cryogenic engine, which has flown on eight consecutive LVM3 missions including Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 and three commercial launches, has been cleared for the next LVM3 mission, designated LVM3-M7, following a flight acceptance hot test conducted on 6 July at the Isro Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri.

The indigenously developed engine is qualified to operate across a thrust range of 19 to 22 tonnes and has also completed the human-rating qualification required for use in the Gaganyaan programme, India’s first human spaceflight mission.

During the latest test, the engine ran at 19.5 tonnes of thrust for 45 seconds before being ramped up to its maximum rated thrust of 22 tonnes for another 25 seconds. The test also marked the first flight acceptance use of a newly developed Nozzle Protection System, which Isro said performed satisfactorily alongside the engine, clearing the way for it to be refurbished and integrated with the C32 cryogenic stage being prepared for the mission.

Isro said the new system allows testing of the CE20 engine’s full area-ratio 100 nozzle under sea-level conditions, a process that previously required complex high-altitude test facilities, reducing the resources needed for testing and enabling longer test durations.

Isro has not yet announced a launch date for the LVM3-M7 mission.