ISRO successfully conducts test of Vikas Engine for Gaganyaan Program

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.