ISRO test-fires engine for human space mission rocket

Chennai: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully fired the high thrust Vikas engine that would power India's first rocket to ferry humans.

According to ISRO, the Vikas engine for the Gaganyaan human space mission underwent the qualification test for a duration of 25 seconds at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The Indian space agency said that two engines have already undergone tests under nominal operating conditions for a total duration of 480 seconds. The test carried out on Thursday was to verify the robustness of the engine by operating beyond its nominal operating conditions (fuel-oxidiser ratio and chamber pressure).

The performance of the engine met the test objectives and the engine parameters were closely matching with the predictions during the entire duration of the test.

Further, three more tests are planned for a cumulative duration of 75 seconds under varying operating conditions. Subsequently, another high thrust Vikas engine will undergo a long-duration test for 240 seconds to complete the Vikas engine qualification for Gaganyaan Programme, ISRO said.