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🚀 ISRO’s GSLV-F18 is targeting October 30 to launch NVS-03, strengthening India’s NavIC navigation system. 🇮🇳 Beyond civilian navigation, NavIC provides independent positioning and timing capabilities critical for strategic operations, defence coordination and national security.

ISRO shares a detailed update on its LOX-Methane engine programme, the propulsion planned for the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) and for the future heavy-lift vehicle for India's crewed lunar landing (target 2040). Why methane? - Clean combustion - Low maintenance, which helps reusability - Can be made on Mars from CO2 + water ice, which helps future Mars missions and human settlement LM20-TD: the demonstrator (2019–2020) - 20-tonne thrust technology demonstrator built from existing CE-20 cryogenic engine subsystems - Converted to LOX-CH4 by modifying the propellant flow control and engine start-up systems - Gas generator cycle, with thrust chamber, fuel-rich GG, LOX & fuel turbopumps, igniter, and a mixture ratio control valve with electric drive - Test sequence worked out with an in-house mathematical model - 1 cold flow + 5 hot tests at IPRC - Gave key data on chill-down, ignition, engine start, combustion and rotor-dynamics LME1100: the main engine (started 2023) - 1100 kN thrust, Gas Generator Cycle - Designed to be industry-friendly and cost-effective - Over 70% of components made by additive manufacturing (3D printing) with industry partners across India Gas Generator - 3D printed, in qualification tests at IPRC - Sub-scale GG tests worked out the ignition sequence with a spark torch igniter and tested the 3D-printed injector elements - First ignition test of the full-scale GG on October 9, 2026, with more tests planned Thrust Chamber - Sub-scale hot test campaign at IPRC - Proved the new manufacturing methods planned for the full-scale chamber - Settled the best injector configuration - Showed both oxidiser-rich and fuel-rich spark torch igniters working Turbopumps - LOX and methane turbopumps made by Indian industry - 3D-printed LOX pump impeller spin-tested at LPSC up to its rated speed - Seals and bearings in qualification at LPSC and IPRC - Cold flow tests of the integrated turbopumps ongoing at IPRC Ignition systems - GOX-GCH4 spark torch igniters, oxidiser-rich and fuel-rich - Semiconductor spark plug igniter (LPSC + VSSC + IIST) - Laser ignition, demonstrated with GOX-GH2 and GOX-GCH4 What's next - Integrated LME1100 engine ready by mid-2027, followed by a hot test series including different thrust throttling profiles - Design completed for a 2400 kN Full Flow Staged Combustion Cycle (FFSCC) engine, meant for a future human-rated heavy-lift launch vehicle for crewed lunar landing missions Source: https://t.co/sXzrx0ej9D #ISRO #LOXMethane #LME1100 #NGLV #IndianSpace

ISRO to launch NVS-03 between October 15-20 ISRO is reportedly preparing to launch the NVS-03 (IRNSS-1L) navigation satellite between October 15 and 20 aboard GSLV-F18 from the Second Launch Pad at Sriharikota. This will be the 20th flight of the GSLV. The mission is critical for NavIC. Right now only three satellites in the constellation are providing Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services: IRNSS-1B and IRNSS-1I from the first generation, and NVS-01 from the second generation. Any satellite navigation system needs a bare minimum of four satellites to calculate a user's position on its own, which means NavIC currently cannot provide standalone navigation. Once NVS-03 reaches its orbital slot and completes in-orbit testing, NavIC will be back at four PNT-capable satellites, restoring its standalone positioning capability. NVS-04 and NVS-05 are expected to follow to rebuild the full seven-satellite constellation. #ISRO #NavIC #NVS03 #GSLV #GSLVF18 #IRNSS #IndianSpace #Sriharikota

🚨 GSLV performs better than expected, EOS-05 mission life likely to increase! 🔥 GSLV-F17 was supposed to place EOS-05 into a transfer orbit with an apogee of 28,934 km. However, GSLV's cryogenic third stage performed better than expected, achieving an apogee of 31,026 km! Being a Geostationary satellite, EOS-05 would ideally be launched into an elliptical 170 × 35,786 km Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), from where it would use its own propellant and thrusters to raise its perigee and eventually enter a circular Geostationary Orbit (GEO). However, at 2,367 kg, EOS-05 is heavier than the 2,250 kg maximum mass GSLV can deliver to GTO. Therefore, for this mission, GSLV's third stage was made to fire until all propellant is exhausted (burn to depletion), sending the satellite the furthest it could. ISRO had estimated an apogee of 28,934 km i.e. lower than GTO altitude, hence the term Sub-GTO. EOS-05 would then use its own propulsion system to raise its apogee to GTO altitude before continuing its journey to GEO. But GSLV achieved an apogee +2,092 km higher than expected! This means EOS-05 will need to use less of its own propellant to reach GTO, leaving more propellant available once it reaches GEO. This extra propellant can then be used for stationkeeping and attitude control, likely extending EOS-05's planned 10-year mission life!

The future of Indian spaceflight is looking BRIGHT! 🚀✨ Thanks to its strategic geography, Kulasekarapattinam is set to become a bustling hub with launches scheduled every few weeks. Meet Kulasai’s Rocket Squad! 🛰️ We’re producing a full deep-dive video covering: 1️⃣ The birth of the Indian private space industry. 2️⃣ Why private companies are crucial to scaling India's space economy. 3️⃣ How Kulasekarapattinam solves the trajectory equation for small launchers. 📺 Follow us for more updates and to watch the full video! We do make lot of science videos too :) ..