🚀 VIKAS ENGINE RESTART MILESTONE
ISRO Pushes Reusability Frontiers with Liquid Engine Breakthrough

🔥 A Leap Forward in Indian Rocketry
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a significant milestone with the successful restart test of its Vikas liquid engine — a breakthrough that opens new doors for reusability in launch vehicles and strengthens India’s space innovation ecosystem.

🔧 Vikas Engine: A Backbone of Indian Launch Systems

The Vikas engine is a reliable workhorse in ISRO’s arsenal, powering the liquid stages of PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 missions. First developed in the 1970s, this hypergolic engine has continuously evolved to meet modern demands.

• Fuel: Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH)
• Oxidiser: Nitrogen Tetroxide (N₂O₄)
• Thrust: Up to 725 kN
• Propellant Load:
  • 40 tonnes (PSLV, GSLV Mk I & II)
  • 55 tonnes (LVM3)

✅ Restart Test Success – January 17, 2025

ISRO successfully tested engine restart capability, crucial for reusable launch vehicle missions.
Here’s what the demonstration achieved:

• 🔸 Initial burn: 60 seconds
• 🔸 Shutdown period: 120 seconds
• 🔸 Restart: 7 seconds

✨ A major leap from the previous December 2024 test, which featured shorter shutdown intervals.

🧪 Vikas Engine Variants

• HTVE (High Thrust Vikas Engine): Delivers 800 kN for GSLV Mk II
• HPVE (High Pressure Vikas Engine): Under development for next-gen boosters

These upgrades make Vikas more versatile for deep-space and human missions.

🎯 Precision Through Throttling

In January 2023, ISRO successfully performed throttling tests, reaching 67% thrust for 43 seconds.
🎯 This enables refined control during launch, crucial for crewed missions like Gaganyaan.

👨‍🚀 Gaganyaan Ready

The high-thrust Vikas variant is mission-critical for Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight.
It has passed rigorous endurance testing to guarantee performance under extreme conditions.
🇮🇳 A key milestone toward sending Indian astronauts into space.

📦 Vikas in Global Space Commerce

ISRO has now flagged off the L110 liquid stage of the LVM3 for launching BlueBird Block-2, marking another milestone in commercial launch services.
💼 With this, India strengthens its presence in the global satellite market.

🌍 Final Word

From reusability breakthroughs to commercial payload launches, the Vikas engine embodies ISRO’s forward momentum.
🔁 Its restart capability paves the way for cost-efficient, sustainable space exploration, placing India among the world’s most advanced spacefaring nations.

🌌 The sky is no longer the limit — it’s just the beginning.