AHEAD OF GAGANYAAN, ISRO’S CE-20 ENGINE ALREADY HAS A NOTABLE LEGACY:
Why in the news?
ISRO’s successful human-rating of the CE-20 engine marks a crucial advancement in India’s space capabilities, particularly for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
source:toi
About Ahead of Gaganyaan: ISRO’s CE-20 Engine
- ISRO’s CE-20 engine symbolises post-US sanction achievements in 1980s.
- Missions like Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and OneWeb used CE-20.
- CE-20: Indigenous cryogenic engine for GSLV Mk III (LVM-3).
- It uses liquid hydrogen for higher exhaust velocity.
- Hot-fire tests ensure reliability.
- Human-rating assures stringent component standards.
- CE-20’s legacy is marked by mission roles and testing.
- Next: uncrewed Gaganyaan test flight, mid-2024.
About India’s other Chandrayaan Missions
Chandrayaan-1 (2008): ● Aimed for lunar mapping and mineralogical analysis. ● Launched using PSLV-C11. ● Discovered water and hydroxyl on the moon’s surface. Chandrayaan-2:(22 july ,2019) ● Comprised Orbiter, Lander, and Rover. ● Launched by GSLV MkIII-M1. ● The Orbiter found water signatures across lunar latitudes despite the lander crash. Chandrayan -3 · Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission aiming for a soft landing on the moon. · Launched on July 14, 2023, from Satish Dhawan Space Center. · Components include a Lander module, Propulsion module, and Rover. · Objectives: Safe and Soft Lunar Landing, Rover exploration, and in-situ scientific experiments. Human Missions: ● Astronauts land on the moon’s surface. ● Only NASA achieved this, with six landings from 1969 to 1972. ● NASA’s Artemis III, scheduled for 2025, signifies humanity’s return to the moon. |