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Strategies & Market Trends : India Coffee House -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mohan Marette who wrote (9761)	11/24/1999 3:43:00 PM
From: Mohan Marette	Respond to of 12475

First indigenous cryogenic engine to be test-fired in Dec Sanu George (ET) Thiruvananthapuram 24 November INDIA'S first indigenously developed cryogenic upper stage engine (Cusp), used in satellite launch vehicles, will be test-fired on December 29, marking yet another milestone in the country's space research programme. The Cusp has been developed by the liquid propulsion systems centre (LPSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). The test-firing would be carried out on December 29 at the Mahendragiri hills of Kanyakumari district, according to S Vasantha, director of LPSC. Even though the launch of the country's first geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) would take place in the first half of the coming year, using a Russian cryogenic engine, the third GSLV flight, which is expected in June 2001, would use the engine that will be test-fired on December 29. When it launches the GSLV using its own Cusp, India would join the company of the US, Russia, France, Japan and China which have accomplished this feat in space research. "Moreover, our engine would be 200 kg less than the procured Russian cryostage,? said Ms Vasantha. She added that the engine had been developed over a period of eight years, while all other countries took 10-15 years. The 7.5- tonne-thrust-integrated Cusp has already been developed and the cold flow tested at the sub-assembly level. "What is being done is the final integration and, once proven, this cryo technology would be a boon to Isro in the new millennium," said Ms Vasantha. V Gnana Gandhi, project director of Cusp, pointed out the total cost at each stage would be 30 to 40 per cent cheaper compared to the production cost of other countries. The total project cost is expected to be in the range of Rs 300 crore. India has achieved a steady progress in its space programmes. The first satellite launch vehicle (SLV) was launched way back in 1980. After that there were three more SLV launches in 1981, 1982 and 1983. The country launched its augmented satellite launch vehicle (ASLV) in 1987 and after that three more ASLVs were launched in 1988, 1989 and 1991. India made further progress in its space programmes by launching the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) in 1991. Since then there have been four more PSLV launches, the last being in May 1999. - IANS