CE-20

The CE-20 is a cryogenic rocket engine being developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, a subsidiary of Indian Space Research Organisation. It is being developed to power the upper stage of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III. It is the first Indian cryogenic engine to feature a gas-generator cycle.

Overview

The CE-20 is the first Indian cryogenic engine to feature a gas-generator cycle. The engine produces a nominal thrust of 200 kN, but has an operating thrust range between 180 kN to 220 kN and can be set to any fixed values between them. The combustion chamber burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at 6 MPa with 5.05 engine mixture ratio. The engine has a thrust-to-weight ratio of 34.7 and a specific impulse of 444 seconds (4.35 km/s) in vacuum. ISRO tested the CE-20 on April 28, 2015 at Mahendragiri test facility achieved on successful long duration hot test (635 seconds). On July 16, 2015, CE-20 was successfully endurance hot tested for a duration of 800 seconds at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri. This duration is approximately 25% more than the engine burn duration in flight