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Source: AIR
What is the News?
Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) has successfully conducted the third long-duration hot test of the liquid propellant Vikas engine for the Gaganyaan programme.
About Vikas Engine:
- Vikas is a family of liquid fuelled rocket engines conceptualized and designed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre(LPSC) in the 1970s.
- LPSC is a research and development centre functioning under Indian Space Research Organisation.
- The engine is used in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV) series of expendable launch vehicles for space launch use.
- ISRO tested the Vikas Engine this time as part of the engine qualification requirements for the Gaganyaan Mission.
About Gaganyaan Mission:
- Gaganyaan is India’s first Human Space Flight Programme to be launched by the ISRO.
- Aim: The mission aims to demonstrate ISRO’s capability to send humans to low-earth orbit onboard an Indian launch vehicle and bring them back to Earth.
- The first unmanned flight is likely to be launched in 2021 and the second demonstration launch could happen in 2022-23 before ISRO finally launches a full-scale manned mission.