ISRO has announced that, India’s first indigenously designed and developed high-thrust cryogenic rocket engine generating a nominal thrust of 19 tonnes has been successfully endurance hot-tested for 800 seconds. The engine will be used for powering the Cryogenic stage (C25), the upper stage of the next generation GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle of ISRO, capable of launching four-tonne class satellites.
ISRO said the cryogenic engine of C25 Stage operates on Gas Generator Cycle using extremely low temperature propellants Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) at 20 Kelvin (-253 deg C) and Liquid Oxygen (LOX) at 80K (-193 deg C).
The high performance cryogenic engine was conceived, configured and realised by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), the lead centre of ISRO, responsible for developing liquid propulsion systems for the Indian Space Programme.
- In physics, cryogenics is the study of the production and behaviour of materials at very low temperatures.
- Liquefied gases, such as liquid nitrogen and liquid helium, are used in many cryogenic applications.
- The field of cryogenics advanced during World War II when scientists found that metals frozen to low temperatures showed more resistance to wear.
- NASA’s workhorse space shuttle used cryogenic hydrogen/oxygen propellant as its primary means of getting into orbit.
- Cryogenic temperatures, usually well below 77 K (−196 °C) are required to operate cryogenic detectors.
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Name the satellite launched from India’s first cryogenically-fuelled rocket engine?
