It was a proud moment for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on April 28 for accomplishing the feat of successful test-firing the indigenous cryogenic engine CE-20. The test-firing lasted for 645 seconds capable of launching satellites or pay-load up to five tonnes. With the indigenous CE-20, India has joined the big league of space science pioneering nations. With this achievement, India’s own cryogenic engine will be able to GSLV Mark-III into geostationary orbit by the end of 2016, said ISRO. According to ISRO, the CE-20 is a cryogenic rocket engine developed by its Liquid Propulsion Systems Center meant to power the upper stage of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle III. Furthermore, the engine is capable of producing a nominal thrust between 180 kN to 220 kN and can be set to any fixed values between them, it is said. Of late, India’s space programme has become exceedingly visible by becoming more self-reliant in space technology. Earlier, India became the first nation to launch 10 satellites with one rocket. India’s former President, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam at an earlier occasion had said that Indian defence and space scientists were on the right path for developing cost reduction technologies for access to space. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while congratulating ISRO on their achievement in developing and successful testing of Indigenous Cryogenic Engine said, “Congratulations to our space scientists for the successful testing of our indigenous cryogenic engine. The engine tested will enable us to put satellites of up to 4 tons in geostationary orbit. A proud accomplishment!”
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