ISRO Successfully Tests CE20 E13 Engine

• 26 Sep 2023

On 22^nd September, 2023, ISRO conducted a successful hot test of the CE20 E13 engine at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, marking a crucial achievement.

Key Points

• Critical Component for Cryogenic Upper Stage: The CE20 engine, developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala, is a critical component of the Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) responsible for powering the upper stage (C25) of the LVM3 vehicle.
• Proven Reliability in Previous Missions: The CE20 engine has demonstrated its reliability and efficiency in six consecutive LVM3 missions, including Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two commercial OneWeb missions.
• Upgrade for Payload Capacity: ISRO is upgrading the CE20 engine to increase the payload capacity of the LVM3 vehicle.
• The upper cryogenic stage is being transformed into the C32 stage with enhanced propellant loading capacity.
• Higher Thrust Level: Simultaneously, modifications are being made to the engine to operate at a higher thrust level of 22 tonnes to meet the requirements of critical missions.
• Successful CE20 Engine Qualification: The third hot test, E13 HT-03, marked the successful completion of CE20 engine qualification for the Gaganyaan program.