ISRO Tests CE20 Cryogenic Engine at 220 kN Thrust for LVM3
NEW DELHI: The Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully conducted a flight acceptance hot test of its CE20 cryogenic engine at an uprated thrust of 220 kilonewtons.
The test, carried out on 9 September 2026 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, marks an important step towards improving the payload capacity of the LVM3 launch vehicle.
The engine tested is earmarked for the C32 upper stage of an upcoming LVM3 mission. A flight acceptance hot test verifies that a specific engine meets all performance requirements before it is cleared for integration with a flight vehicle.
Support for Gaganyaan Programme
During the same test, ISRO also successfully demonstrated the performance of the LOX Tank Pressurisation Module designed for the C32 stages planned for India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight missions.
The dual achievement advances both the heavy-lift capabilities of the LVM3 and the readiness of systems critical to the crewed programme.
The CE20 is an indigenously developed cryogenic engine that powers the upper stage of the LVM3. It operates on liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
ISRO has been progressively uprating the engine as part of a broader effort to enhance the performance of the LVM3 platform.
Path to Higher Payload Capacity
The space agency aims to operate future LVM3 missions with an uprated C32 stage using the CE20 engine at approximately 22-tonne thrust.
This upgrade is expected to increase the vehicle’s payload capability to geostationary transfer orbit and other orbits.
The latest test follows a sea-level hot test of the CE20 conducted in March 2026 at the same facility, which qualified the engine for higher-thrust operations under sea-level conditions using a Nozzle Protection System and multi-element igniter.
Broader Propulsion Upgrades
ISRO is simultaneously advancing other propulsion technologies for the LVM3. Earlier this month, the agency successfully tested its Semi-Cryogenic Engine Power Head Test Article at the full thrust level of 200 tonnes at Mahendragiri.
The planned SC120 semi-cryogenic stage, combined with the uprated C32 cryogenic stage, is intended to deliver further gains in the rocket’s overall lifting capacity.
The successful CE20 test comes shortly after ISRO’s launch of the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite on the GSLV-F17.
By validating the higher-thrust CE20 engine under flight acceptance conditions and demonstrating key Gaganyaan-related hardware, ISRO has strengthened the technical foundation for both commercial and human spaceflight missions planned for the LVM3 in the coming years.
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