Gaganyaan: ISRO Finally Completes Human-Rated Engine Test Campaign

NEW DELHI: The Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme has reached a significant turning point with the completion of the final long-duration hot test of the human-rated L110-G Vikas engine for the intended qualifying period of 240 seconds, according to ISRO on Thursday.

The test was conducted at the Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC). The national space agency with its Bengaluru headquarters, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), declared in a statement that "with this test, all the planned qualification tests of the engine are completed successfully." 

The human-rated launch vehicle (LVM3-G) has two clustered L110-G Vikas engines for its air-lit liquid core stage. The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) was responsible for the design and construction of the L110 stage for Gaganyaan, while IPRC handled the assembly, integration, and testing. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre created the Engine Gimbal Control System (VSSC). The pump-fed gas generator cycle in the Vikas engine runs on storable propellants. 

Higher structural margins for sub-systems, an enhanced assembly process, and more measurements for health monitoring are features of the human-rated Vikas engine. According to the press release, the development hot tests that were performed on it were done so at the Principal Test Stand, IPRC.

Nine engines had gone through 14 hot tests totaling 1,215 seconds, including four tests with a long duration of 240 seconds apiece. According to ISRO, the test campaign includes extreme operating durations, off-nominal mixture ratios, and thrust level conditions compared to flight operating conditions.

It is based on the extensive legacy and experience of liquid rocket engine development. Four sets of hardware were created for this test programme at different Indian enterprises. 

The test also qualified electro-mechanical gimbal actuators and a Command System module for engine pilot pressure management with multiple redundancies. The L110-G Vikas engine qualification might be finished by ISRO in as little as three years, it was noted.

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