Human Rating of LVM3 Launch Vehicle

• Context (TH | IE): ISRO completed human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine that powers the cryogenic stage of the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle for Gaganyaan mission.

Human-rating refers to rating a system that is capable of safely transporting humans.

• The final test was carried out at the High Altitude Test Facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, to simulate the flight conditions.
• The ground qualification tests involved life demonstration tests, endurance tests, and performance assessment under nominal operating conditions as well as off-nominal conditions w.r.t thrust, mixture ratio, and propellant tank pressure.

CE20 Cryogenic Engine

• The CE-20 is a cryogenic rocket engine developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), a subsidiary of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It has been developed to power the upper stage of the LVM3.
• It is the first Indian cryogenic engine to feature a gas-generator cycle.

LVM3 Launch Vehicle

• It is a three-stage vehicle with a 110 ton core liquid propellant stage (L-110) and a strap-on stage with two solid propellant motors, each with 200 tons propellant (S-200).
• The upper stage will be cryogenic fueled with a propellant loading of 25 tons (C-25).
• The LVM-3 has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes, and it can carry a payload of up to 4,000 kilograms into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) at 35,000km.

Gaganyaan Mission

• Gaganyaan is the 1st human space flight programme of ISRO.
• Objective: To demonstrate indigenous capability of human space flight to low earth orbit.
• Launch vehicle: GSLV-Mk III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3).
• Payloads:
  1. Crew Module: It is the spacecraft carrying human beings.
  2. Service Module: It will support the crew module and is powered by liquid propellant engines.
• This mission consists of:
  1. Two unmanned missions (G1 & G2): 2nd uncrewed mission (G2) will carry “Vyommitra” (a female-looking humanoid robot developed by ISRO to function on-board the Gaganyaan).
  2. One manned mission (G3): The Orbital Module of the crewed mission will carry three Indian astronauts, including a woman into space for 7 days. It will orbit the Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km.
• Russia and France are cooperating with India for Gaganyaan mission.