The Vikas engine successfully completed its first throttling demonstration hot test, achieving a targeted 67% thrust level for 43 seconds. This advancement in throttlable liquid engines enhances booster stage recovery capabilities.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has reached a significant milestone in space technology by successfully demonstrating the restart capability of its Vikas liquid engine at the Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri on January 18, 2025.
The Vikas engine serves as the backbone for the liquid stages of ISRO’s launch vehicles, playing a crucial role in space missions.
This test conducted on January 17 is a pivotal step towards developing technologies aimed at stage recovery, ultimately contributing to the concept of reusability in upcoming launches, according to ISRO’s announcement.
A comprehensive series of tests are being implemented to ensure the engine can restart successfully under varying conditions.
During the latest test, the engine operated for 60 seconds before a 120-second shut-off period, followed by a successful restart and an additional seven seconds of firing. All parameters were reported to be normal throughout the test.
An earlier test in December 2024 demonstrated a shorter restart duration, successfully managing a shut-off time of 42 seconds, with subsequent seven-second firing intervals.
ISRO confirmed that further tests are scheduled to optimize engine performance under restart conditions.
Moreover, ISRO Chairperson V. Narayanan recently launched the core liquid stage (L110) of the LVM3 vehicle to the launch complex at Sriharikota. This stage, designed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), is equipped with twin Vikas engines and has a propellant capacity of 110 tonnes.
It marks the tenth L110 liquid stage integrated at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri and is intended for the upcoming LVM3 mission, part of a commercial partnership aimed at deploying the BlueBird Block 2 satellite.
Published – January 18, 2025 09:26 am IST
