ISRO successfully conducts hot test of Cryo CE 20 engine

Thiruvananthapuram: In a major milestone, ISRO on Friday successfully hot tested 'Cryo CE 20' engine for a flight duration of 640 seconds, with the space agency Chairman A. S. Kirankumar describing the feat as a "phenomenal achievement in the shortest time."
The test was completed successfully at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri on Friday at 17.15 hours, an ISRO press release said here.
This engine is identified for Cryogenic stage hot tests for GSLV MkIII, according to the release.
The engine has already undergone two short duration tests and demonstrated repeatability of engine ignition characteristics and steady state performance, it said.
The test was conducted with Mixture Ratio Controller (MRC) in closed loop mode for the flight duration of 640 seconds, according to ISRO (Indian Space Research Organistaion).Kirankumar, in his address to the gathering present at Mahendragiri, described it as "a phenomenal achievement in the shortest time".
The fully indigenous cryogenic engine development is a major step towards the launch of GSLV MkIII in December, the release said.
Mahendragiri is in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
Noting that there is an increasing demand and enhanced use of space technology-based tools in governance, Kumar said efforts are on to build capacity within the country for doing more frequent satellite launches.
The vehicle assembly building was presently one of the "bottlenecks" before the space agency which was coming in the way of frequent launches, he said, adding the number of annual launches can be increased once the second assembly building coming up at Sriharikota becomes functional.
"The basic demand is increasing. As you are aware (there is) more use of space technology based tools in governance and in various applications of both central and state governments.
We are in talks with them for various activities," Kumar said on the sidelines of a national workshop on aerospace quality.
"For all these, we need more and more earth observation inputs, communication infrastructure and also navigation support. For all these, we need more satellites in space," Kumar said.
The ISRO chief said the country's capability in space can be increased through frequent launches.
"So, what we are trying to do is to build the capacity within the country for doing more frequent launches. One of the targets is one launch a month. Then subsequent to it 18 and then 24 a year," Kumar said.
Once the second vehicle assembly building is completed, the number of launches per year can be increased, he said.
On ISRO's future plans, the chairman said the remaining two satellites of IRNSS series would be launched on March 10 and March 31 this year.
Earlier at the workshop, jointly organised by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Society for Aerospace Quality & Rehabilitation (SAQR), he said aerospace activities were increasing very significantly inside and outside the country and the quality aspect was very significant for the sector's development.