ISRO achieves breakthrough in Semicryogenic engine development for LVM3

ISRO achieves breakthrough in semicryogenic engine development with successful hot test of Engine Power Head Test Article.

ISRO has announced significant progress in the design and development of a Semicryogenic engine or Liquid Oxygen/Kerosene engine with a high thrust of 2,000 kN (kilonewton) that will power the Semicryogenic booster stage of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3).

The first major breakthrough in the semicryogenic engine development programme was achieved on March 28, when the first successful hot test of Engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA), was carried out at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, it said.

Highlighting that the Friday’s (March 28, 2025) test demonstrated the smooth ignition and boost strap mode operation of the engine for a test duration of 2.5 seconds, the space agency said the objective of the test was to validate the integrated performance of the critical subsystems such as the pre-burner, turbo pumps, start system and control components by carrying out a hot-firing for a short-duration of 2.5 seconds.

“The test proceeded as predicted and all the engine parameters were as expected. With this breakthrough, ISRO is further planning a series of tests on the PHTA to further validate and finetune the performance before the realisation of the fully integrated engine,” it said.

Noting that the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of ISRO is developing the Semi cryogenic propulsion Engine and Stage, ISRO said the stage (SC120) powered by the 2,000kN semi-cryogenic engine (SE2000) will replace the present core liquid stage (L110) of LVM3 for payload enhancement and power the booster stages of future launch vehicles.

Non toxic and non hazardous propellants (Liquid Oxygen and Kerosene) are employed in Semi cryogenic propulsion and this will deliver higher performance compared to existing L110 stage.

Induction of the Semi cryogenic propulsion system along with an uprated cryogenic stage in the LVM3 vehicle enhances its payload capability from 4 tonne to 5 tonne in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), it added.