ISRO Successfully Completes Final Long Duration Hot Fire Test of Human-Rated Vikas Engine

ISRO's Gaganyaan program, aimed at sending humans into space, has reached a significant milestone by accomplishing the final long-duration hot fire test of the human-rated L110-G Vikas Engine. The final qualification firing, conducted on April 6, 2023, at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, lasted for the intended 240 seconds.The air-lit liquid core stage of the human-rated launch vehicle (LVM3-G) uses two L110-G Vikas engines. With this test, all the planned qualification tests of the engine have been successfully completed.

The design and realisation of the L110 stage for Gaganyaan was carried out at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), with assembly, integration, and testing carried out at IPRC. The engine gimbal control system was developed by VSSC.

The Vikas engine uses a pump-fed gas generator cycle. The human-rated Vikas engine has higher structural margins for sub-systems, improved assembly processes, and additional measurements for health monitoring.

The human-rated Vikas engine development hot fire tests were conducted in a step-by-step manner at the Principal Test Stand, IPRC. Nine engines underwent 14 hot fire tests, with a cumulative duration of 1215 seconds (20.25 minutes), including four long duration tests of 240 seconds each. The test campaign encompassed extreme operating durations, off-nominal mixture ratios, and thrust level conditions compared to flight operating conditions.

ISRO was able to complete the human-rated L110-G Vikas engine qualification within a short span of three years, and the maiden flight of Gaganyaan is scheduled for NET Q1 2024.