Flight acceptance hot testing of the CE-20 cryogenic engine that will power the launch vehicle’s cryogenic upper stage for the Chandrayaan-3 mission has been successfully conducted, according to the Indian Space Research Organization.
The hot test was conducted for a planned duration of 25 seconds at the ISRO Propulsion Complex’s High Altitude Test Facility in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu on February 24, the Bengaluru-headquartered National Space Agency said.
“All propulsion parameters during the test were satisfactory and closely matched predictions,” an ISRO statement said on Monday.
The cryogenic engine will be further integrated with the propellant tank, stage structure and associated fluid lines to realize a fully-integrated flight cryogenic stage, ISRO said.
Earlier this year, the Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully underwent EMI/EMC tests at the UR Rao Satellite Center here.
EMI-EMC (Electro-Magnetic Interference / Electro-Magnetic Compatibility) tests are conducted for satellite missions to ensure the functionality of satellite subsystems in the space environment and their compatibility with expected electromagnetic levels, it was noted.
“This test is a major milestone in satellite realization,” ISRO said.
The Chandrayaan-3 interplanetary mission consists of three main modules: the propulsion module, the lander module and a rover. The complexity of the mission calls for the establishment of radio-frequency (RF) communication links between the modules.
During EMI/EC testing of Chandrayaan-3 lander, launcher compatibility, antenna polarization of all RF systems, individual automatic compatibility tests for orbital and powered descent mission phases and lander and rover compatibility tests for the post-landing mission phase were ensured, according to ISRO.
Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability for safe landing and orbiting on the lunar surface. ISRO plans to launch the mission in June.
It will be launched by Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh).
The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration up to 100 km lunar orbit. The propulsion module includes spectro-polarimetry of habitable Planet Earth (SHAP) payloads to study Earth’s spectral and polarimetric measurements from lunar orbit.
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