Latest news with #LVM3
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Science
- Business Standard
Isro successfully conducts third hot test of semicryogenic engine
According to Isro, the test, conducted on May 28, was aimed at validating the engine's ignition and start-up sequence while optimising the process for integrated engine performance Press Trust of India Bengaluru The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of the third hot test of the Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at the Isro Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The test is part of a crucial series of evaluations to validate the performance of India's upcoming semicryogenic engine, Isro said. This marks the third in a series of hot tests undertaken by Isro for the PHTA. According to Isro, the test, conducted on May 28, was aimed at validating the engine's ignition and start-up sequence while optimising the process for integrated engine performance. During the three-second trial, the engine was ignited successfully and operated up to 60 per cent of its rated power level, exhibiting stable and controlled performance throughout. Isro began this series of performance evaluations in March 2025, focusing on critical components such as low- and high-pressure turbo-pumps, the pre-burner, start-up system, and various control mechanisms. The first test, conducted on March 28, 2025, confirmed smooth ignition and bootstrap operation during a 2.5-second run. The second test, carried out on April 24, focused on the start transient build-up and validated the ignition sequence over a 3.5-second duration. The Semi-Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (SC120), powered by the 2000 kN-class SE2000 engine, is being developed to replace the current liquid core stage (L110) of the LVM3 launch vehicle towards enhancing its payload capability, Isro said.
India Today
4 days ago
- Science
- India Today
Isro conducts key engine tests to boost capability of heavy-lift LVM-3
Isro has successfully conducted a series of critical tests for its next-generation 2,000 kN Semicryogenic Engine (SE2000), marking significant progress in enhancing the payload capacity of its flagship LVM3 heavy-lift tests occurred on May 28, 2025, with a third hot test of the Engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at Mahendragiri's Isro Propulsion Complex, validating ignition sequences and stable operation at 60% PHTA – containing all engine systems except the thrust chamber – underwent three phased 28: Initial 2.5-second test confirmed ignition and bootstrap operationsApril 24: 3.5-second test validated start-up transient build-upMay 28: Final 3-second test optimized start sequencing for full-engine integration[user inputThe SE-2000 engine uses liquid oxygen and kerosene in an oxidizer-rich staged combustion cycle, generating 180 bar chamber pressure and 335-second specific impulse. This non-toxic propellant combination improves performance over the current L110 stage's hydrazine-based new SC120 stage powered by SE2000 will replace LVM3's existing L110 core, increasing:Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) capacity from 4 to 5 tonnesLow Earth Orbit (LEO) capacity from 8 to 10 tonnesTesting occurs at the Semicryogenic Integrated Engine Test Facility (SIET), inaugurated in 2024 with real-time data acquisition systems. Isro collaborated with Indian industries for component manufacturing and space-grade kerosene these tests completing subsystem validations, Isro plans integrated engine-level trials upgraded LVM3 configuration is expected to enter service by 2027, strengthening India's position in the global heavy-lift launch market while supporting future lunar and crewed Watch
The Print
20-05-2025
- Science
- The Print
India's semi-cryogenic engine revolution—SCE-200 is already in the global big league
During my recent visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Thiruvananthapuram, I spoke with ISRO scientists and founders of space startups across Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Everyone was talking about semi-cryogenic propulsion. It's the tech that could change everything. For decades, India's rockets have relied on cryogenic engines—high-tech machines that burn ultra-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen. But now, a quiet revolution is happening in Indian space labs, and it's pointing in a different direction: semi-cryogenic engines. Fire, thunder, smoke, and a trembling sound fill the air as a rocket takes flight. Beneath that drama, however, is a quiet science. Every movement is controlled by calculations, chemistry that is timed to the millisecond, and thermodynamics that transforms fuel into force. Also Read: Why launch of India's 1st semi-cryogenic rocket Agnibaan by Chennai startup is a 'major milestone' What are semi-cryogenic engines? Rockets are all about power, and the type of fuel they burn plays a big role in how far they go. Traditional launchers often use solid or fully cryogenic engines. These engines, like GSLV Mk III (now known as LVM3), Chandrayaan-3's, burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. They're powerful but complex, and because hydrogen must be stored at −253°C, they require expensive insulation and precisely controlled systems. Semi-cryogenic engines offer several advantages on that front. They also use supercooled liquid oxygen, but pair it with a refined form of kerosene called RP-1. This combination ticks off several boxes: high thrust, lower cost, easier handling, and potential for reusability. While semi-cryogenic engines aren't new, powering rockets like SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Russia's Soyuz, India's homegrown version marks its own revolution. ISRO's pivot to semi-cryo In March this year, ISRO announced a 'major breakthrough' in the design and development of a semi-cryogenic engine at its Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). The engine, SCE-200, delivers 2,000 kN (200 tonnes) of thrust and is currently undergoing full-duration hot tests at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, following earlier collaborative trials in Russia. Why the move? Because the advantages are too big to ignore. To begin with, semi-cryogenic engines provide greater thrust at liftoff, making them perfect for heavy payloads. The fuel is cheaper and easier to store than hydrogen, and their design is less complex, potentially improving reliability. They also support reusability, a key goal for future missions. India isn't just building a new engine. It's building a new future—the SCE-200 is comparable to the best semi-cryogenic engines in the world. Once certified, the SCE-200 will replace older stages on the LVM3 and eventually power India's reusable launch vehicles and cargo missions to space stations or even the Moon. ISRO's current heavy-lift vehicle, LVM3, is capable—but it's due for an upgrade. The upcoming HLVM3 (Human-rated LVM3), which will carry Indian astronauts under the Gaganyaan mission, is expected to swap out its older liquid stages for a new semi-cryogenic core. This single move will increase lift capacity, improve safety margins, and enable longer-term goals like space station deployment, lunar bases, and Mars missions. A new public-private engine room One of the most exciting things happening in Indian aerospace is how the government and startups are finally building together, better late than never. Post-2020 reforms and the creation of IN-SPACe—an agency to promote private sector participation in space—opened up ISRO's infrastructure to private companies. The result has been a propulsion renaissance of sorts. Among the startups in this space, Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace is developing semi-cryopowered variants of its Vikram rocket series, with an eye on modular, scalable launches. Chennai's Agnikul Cosmos is pushing the boundaries with 3D-printed, single-piece semi-cryogenic engines like Agnilet, dramatically cutting down manufacturing time and cost. And Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace is working on semi-cryogenic and green in-space propulsion systems, key to future satellite servicing and orbital transport. Together, these fast, inventive, and globally ambitious startups are building India's new propulsion economy. Also Read: Why ISRO's new testing facility for home-grown cryogenic engines is key to India's astronaut dream India's moment in the global launch economy From 2020 to 2023, the global space economy grew from $447 billion to over $570 billion, with the satellite launch market alone projected to reach $30 billion by 2030. India currently holds less than 2 per cent of global commercial launch revenue—but that figure is poised to change. India is concentrating on improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of its launch vehicles with the forming of semi-cryogenic engines like the SCE-200. Compared to existing cryogenic upper stages, semi-cryogenic propulsion, which uses liquid oxygen and refined kerosene (RP-1 or comparable), provide better specific impulse and higher thrust-to-weight ratios. The cost per kilogramme to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for ISRO's most potent operational launcher, the LVM3, is currently between $3,000 and $5,000. However, with effective mass production and reusable Merlin 1D semi-cryogenic engines, SpaceX's Falcon 9 has lowered this cost to about $1,500 to $2,200 per kg. By switching to semi-cryogenic propulsion, ISRO may be able to cut launch costs by 30–40 per cent, to about $1,800–$3,200 per kilogramme, especially when combined with reusability features. This will increase India's competitiveness against industry titans like SpaceX, Arianespace, and China's CASC and bring its launch capabilities considerably closer to the international commercial norm. Additionally, the thrust class of the SCE-200 (200 tonnes) puts it in line with the most recent booster engine development, enabling India to increase payload capacity for both orbital and interplanetary missions while reducing per-mission costs through economies of scale. Moreover, ISRO's PSLV and LVM3 missions already boast a launch success rate of over 95 per cent, and India has launched more than 430 foreign satellites to date. With semi-cryo integration and reusability, these numbers could scale drastically—positioning India as a low-cost, high-reliability launch hub for small satellite constellations, lunar payloads, and interplanetary missions. This propulsion shift aligns with India's ambition to claim a $50 billion (10 per cent) share in the global space market by 2030, as projected by the Indian Space Association (ISpA). Semi-cryogenic technology is the engine behind that vision. Semi-cryogenic propulsion isn't just an incremental upgrade—it's a transformative leap. These engines offer 30–40 per cent more thrust than conventional liquid engines, use RP-1 which is 10x denser than hydrogen (allowing compact design), and can cut launch costs by up to 20 per cent. India's entry into this league with indigenous development marks a critical inflection point. As a physicist, I see this as both a thermodynamic and economic optimisation—essential for scalable, reusable, and interplanetary missions. India is not catching up; it is leapfrogging into the propulsion technologies of tomorrow. Nishant Sahdev is a theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States. He posts on X @NishantSahdev. Views are personal. (Edited by Asavari Singh)
India Today
14-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Where are the four Gaganyaan Mission astronauts as Operation Sindoor is paused?
India's Gaganyaan mission, aimed at sending the country's first astronauts into space, has seen a temporary pause in its crew training activities, with intensive mission-specific training now scheduled to resume in 2026, a year ahead of the planned launch in early update comes amid various developments involving the four astronaut-designates selected for the four astronauts-Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla, Prashanth B Nair, Ajit Krishnan, and Angad Pratap-have taken different paths Shubhanshu Shukla and Prashanth B Nair are currently in the United States preparing for the Axiom-4 mission, set to launch on May 29, opportunity will provide them valuable spaceflight experience ahead of Gaganyaan's maiden crewed Group Captain Ajit Krishnan was recalled to his Indian Air Force unit following Operation Sindoor, that heightened tensions with Pakistan pushing the two countries on brink of a war. His return to active military duty has temporarily interrupted his Gaganyaan training, although he remains committed to the mission and is expected to continue training until the launch. Gaganyaan's uncrewed test flights scheduled for 2025 and 2026. (Photo: Isro) advertisementMeanwhile, Group Captain Angad Pratap is on study leave pursuing a PhD, furthering his academic credentials before resuming astronaut has been vocal about the rigorous physical, psychological, and academic demands of astronaut preparation, highlighting the intense nature of the training Gaganyaan mission itself has entered its final phase, with uncrewed test flights scheduled for 2025 and 2026. The human-rated LVM3 rocket and crucial modules like the Crew Escape System are undergoing final aims to launch the first crewed mission in the first quarter of 2027, sending a three-member crew into low-Earth orbit for a multi-day mission before safely returning them to astronaut training program will intensify in 2026 at the Astronaut Training Centre in Bengaluru, focusing on advanced simulations and survival techniques essential for phased approach ensures the astronauts are mission-ready while balancing current operational and academic Watch
Mint
12-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
India fast-tracks $3-billion spy satellite scheme following Operation Sindoor
New Delhi: India is looking to give its satellite-based surveillance capabilities a rapid makeover, as the country navigates a tenuous ceasefire with neighbour Pakistan after the worst hostilities seen since a war between them in 1971. The Centre has tasked three private firms–Ananth Technologies, Centum Electronics, and Alpha Design Technologies–to compress their satellite development timeline from four years to 12-18 months, according to three people aware of the matter. The satellites are now targeted to be ready by end-2026 or earlier instead of end-2028, the three people said, requesting anonymity due to the matter's sensitivity. One of the satellites–under advanced stages of development by Ananth Technologies–may even be ready this year itself, one of the people cited above said. It would be launched either aboard Isro's heavy rocket, Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3), or Elon Musk-backed SpaceX—depending on their respective mission schedules this year. Also read | Operation Sindoor: A doctrinal shift and an inflection point The soft orders to expedite the latest generation of surveillance satellites were issued from the ministry of defence (MoD) just before India commenced Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. The accelerated effort is part of the $3-billion Space-based Surveillance-3 (SBS-3) scheme, which was approved by the cabinet committee on security (CCS) last October with a net budgetary outlay of $3 billion subject to revisions. In this scheme, a total of 52 surveillance satellites are being built. While the three private companies are building 31 of these, the remaining will be built and deployed gradually by India's central space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). 'It is a necessary move in light of such sensitive geopolitical interactions," one of the people cited above said, adding that the SBS-3 constellation will work as a crucial piece of infrastructure for India's national security, and is a prime example of the kind of large contracts that the Centre can offer private space firms. Emailed queries sent to the three companies, as well as the defence ministry—the nodal ministry that will access the satellites for national defence and security usage—did not receive responses till press time. Spy satellite builders The three private-sector companies—Hyderabad-based Ananth Technologies, and Bengaluru-based Centum Electronics and Alpha Design Technologies—are long-standing partners, suppliers and vendors of Isro, and have played key roles in previous surveillance satellites, as well as landmark Indian space missions such as the successful Chandrayaan-3. Ananth Technologies, led by former Isro veteran Subba Rao Pavuluri, was a key supplier of components to the Chandrayaan-3 mission. So, too, was Centum—led by its chairman, Apparao Mallavarapu. Ananth Technologies earned ₹270 crore in revenue in FY24. In the same fiscal year, Centum, which is publicly listed on the National Stock Exchange, reported ₹632 crore in revenue. In FY25 (nine months to December 2024), it reported revenue of ₹479 crore. The third company, Alpha Design, was wholly acquired by Adani Defence and Aerospace, which is a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, in April 2019. Alpha Design has been one of Isro's key partners in building and deploying the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), which seeks to replace the global positioning system (GPS) in India with NavIC, an indigenous navigation standard. The company reported ₹536 crore in operating revenue in FY24, as per data from credit rating agency, Crisil. Also read | Operation Sindoor: India repulses drone attacks as conflict continues All three companies are rated highly by credit rating agencies Care Edge and Crisil, based on large pending orders driven by Isro and the ministry of defence (MoD), among others. For space firms, internal government contracts are key. In July 2024, former Isro chairman S. Somanath told Mint on the sidelines of a space conclave in New Delhi that the Centre, along with Isro and multiple agencies across ministries, is working to create awareness of the capabilities that private space firms bring to the table, and how they can be tapped for cutting-edge purposes such as secure communications, data analytics and more. Industry veterans, too, believe that private firms can play key roles. Chaitanya Giri, space fellow at global think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF), told Mint that private space firms will continue to be preferred in large-scale, sensitive projects such as SBS-3. 'Each of these private players are already suppliers to the central space agency, which makes the manufacturing and eventual deployment of satellites for various purposes a project right up their alley," Giri said. 'In the long run, more such government projects will see India start to drive revenue to the private space sector in the same model as the rest of the world—despite them wanting to showcase the Indian space sector as an open market." Also read | Operation Sindoor: Tensions spark worry over kharif sowing in border states
