Bengaluru, Sept. 10 -- ISRO on Thursday said it had successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot testing of the cryogenic engine identified for the seventh operational mission of the LVM3 launch vehicle (LVM3-M7), scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The same test demonstrated the performance of a LOX Tank Pressurisation Module (LTPM) designed for the C32 stage, an upgraded cryogenic upper stage planned for India's Gaganyaan missions, it said.
The Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate India's human spaceflight capability by carrying a 3-member crew to a 400-km orbit for a 3-day mission and safely returning them to Earth, with a landing in Indian sea waters.
The test was conducted on Wednesday at the Main Engine and Stage Test Facility (MET) at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri.
LVM3, formerly known as GSLV MkIII, is ISRO's heaviest rocket and uses the CE20 cryogenic engine to power its upper stage.
"Cryogenic engines for every mission undergo hot testing as part of their acceptance for flight. To conduct hot testing of this upper-stage engine under sea-level conditions, despite its nozzle being designed for high-altitude operations, a Nozzle Protection System (NPS) was developed and previously validated through multiple qualification tests," ISRO said in a post on its website.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.