CRYOGENIC
ENGINES - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
News:
ISRO successful in key
test for India’s third moon mission
What's
in the news?
●
The Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) has successfully conducted the flight acceptance of the CE-20 cryogenic
engine that will power the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle for
the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Key
takeaways:
●
The CE-20
cryogenic engine, that will power the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the LVM3 vehicle for the Chandrayaan-3
mission, was put through the flight acceptance hot test.
Chandrayaan
3:
●
Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third moon mission and is a follow-on mission to
Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end
capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
●
The mission is slated to be launched later
this year by Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LMV3) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre
at Sriharikota.
●
Chandrayaan-3 interplanetary mission has three major modules such as
○
Propulsion module
○
Lander module and
○
Rover.
●
The mission’s complexity calls for
establishing radio-frequency (RF) communication links between the modules.
CE-20
(Cryogenic Engine):
●
It is a high thrust Cryogenic Engine.
●
According to ISRO, CE20 cryogenic engine
is indigenously developed for LVM3.
○
The GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3), the biggest
rocket made in India, will be capable of launching 4-tonne satellites into
geosynchronous orbit.
Cryogenic
Engines:
●
Cryogenic engines are typically very powerful and carry liquid propellant at
extremely low temperatures.
●
They are complex but highly efficient and
provide better thrust for each kilogram of fuel burnt when compared to the
traditional solid and liquid propellant rocket stages.
Features:
●
It uses Hydrogen as fuel, stored at minus 253 degrees Celsius and liquid
Oxygen as oxidizer at minus 193 degrees Celsius.
●
To store these cryogenic fluids, special
multi-layer insulation is provided for the tanks and other structures.
Significance:
●
Cryogenic engines are used in the upper
stage of a rocket launch as they provide the maximum thrust to a launcher
vehicle.
●
It is essential to master the cryogenic
technology for any space power as launching heavier satellites requires
cryogenic engines even in the lower stages of the rocket.