* Astronomy

ISRO has achieved a major milestone in the development of rocket systems for satellite launches. Cryogenic Upper Stage for GSLV was hot tested today (28th October 2006) at 6.20 pm for a duration of 50s. The test was carried out at the Liquid Propulsion Systems centre (LPSC) test complex at Mahendragiri. The performance of the test was as predicted. This test is first of its kind in the country.

ISRO has taken up indigenous development of cryogenic stage with regenerative cooled engine, which produces a thrust of 69.5 kN in vacuum, to replace the existing procured stage from Russia currently used in GSLV flights. As part of this effort, the cryogenic engines have been realized and tested earlier for a cumulative duration of 6000s. In the stage level hot test all stage elements like engine, insulated propellant tanks, booster pumps, fill and drain systems, pressurization systems, gas bottles, igniters, cold gas orientation and stabilization system, etc as per flight standards are working in unison.

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