Context: The Central Government has appointed Dr V Narayanan as the new chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation (SRO), and also as the secretary of the Department of Space. He has played a key role in the development of the indigenous cryogenic engine technology.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV); Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV); Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3); Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV); Cryogenic Engine (CE-20).
About Dr V Narayanan
- He has worked in the Solid Propulsion area of Sounding Rockets and Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
- He has played a key role in India's development of the cryogenic engine, a technology that was denied to the country by Russia following pressure from the US.
- Prior to his elevation as the chairman of ISRO, he was serving as the head of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Kerala since 2018.
- He is the Chairman of the National Level Human Rated Certification Board (HRCB) for Gaganyaan, India's planned human spaceflight mission.
Satellite Launch Vehicles of ISRO
1. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV):
- PSLV is an expendable launch vehicle developed and operated by ISRO since its first successful launch in 1994.
- Workhorse of ISRO known for its reliability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness since 1994.
- Stages: Four-stages launch vehicle
- First stage is powered by a solid rocket motor (strap-on motors to provide additional thrust to the rocket to overcome air resistance).
- Second stage uses a liquid propulsion system (Vikas Engine)
- Third stage is a solid rocket motor
- Fourth stage is a liquid-fueled engine
- PSLV can deliver payloads of up to:
- 3250 kg to Low Earth Orbit
- 1600 kg to Sun Synchronous Orbit
- 1400 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit
- Successful launches: Chandrayaan-1 Mission (2008), Mars Orbiter Mission/Mangalyaan (2013), 104 satellites at one go (2017).
- It has been used for launching a wide range of payloads, including Earth observation satellites, navigation satellites, communication satellites, and scientific payloads for various domestic and international customers.
2. Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV):
- Stages: Three-stage launch vehicle
- First Stage: Uses four strap-on solid boost motors (HS200).
- Second Stage: Liquid core stage (L110) powered by two Vikas liquid engines.
- Third Stage: Cryogenic Upper Stage with cryogenic engine using liquid Hydrogen and liquid Oxygen for high specific impulse and efficiency.
- GSLV can carry more than 2,200 kg to geostationary orbits, and over 6,000 kg to LEO. Ideal for large communication satellites.
- Issues: GSLV has a patchy track record, has flown 16 times of which 4 are unsuccessful (high failure rate for any rocket). The problems have mainly been with the cryogenic engine used by GSLV that is reverse-engineered on a Russian design.
3. Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3):
- LVM3 (previously referred to as Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, GSLV Mk III) is a three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO.
- Stages: Three-stage launch vehicle
- First stage: Solid fuel S200 stage.
- Second stage: Liquid fuel L110 stage. (Vikas Engine)
- Third stage: Cryogenic fuel C25 stage (uses 25 tonnes of a mixture of liquid Hydrogen and Liquid oxygen). This upper stage (CE-20 cryogenic engine) is developed entirely in India.
- Payload capacity (one of the most powerful rockets in ISRO's fleet):
- 4,000 kilograms to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
- 10,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO).
- Primarily designed to launch communication satellites into geostationary orbit.
- Successful launches: Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3. Human-rated LVM-3 is due to launch crewed missions under Gaganyaan Mission.
4. Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV):
- New small satellite launch vehicle developed by ISRO to launch small satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) on ‘launch-on-demand’ basis.
- Three-stage Launch Vehicle configured with three Solid Propulsion Stages and liquid propulsion based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage.
- Can launch Mini, Micro, or Nanosatellites (10 to 500 kg mass) up to 500 km in LEO.
- Capable of multiple orbital drop-offs i.e., launch multiple microsatellites in one launch.
- SSLVs will cost 1/10th of a PSLV and will need only 72 hours for launch in comparison to 45 days for PSLV.
ISRO’s Cryogenic Engine (CE-20)
- ISRO has used three cryogenic engines over the years: KVD-1, CE-7.5, and CE-20.
- KVD-1 was supplied to India in the 1980s by Russia (the Soviet Union).
- CE-7.5, and CE-20 are India-made, although the design of the CE-7.5 is based on the KVD-1.
- The GSLV Mk II launch vehicle uses CE-7.5 engines to power the third stage of its ascent.
- CE-20 is an indigenous cryogenic engine ISRO developed to use with the GSLV Mk III (LVM3 launch vehicle). It represents an improvement on the CE-7.5 cryogenic engine.
- Fuel: Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as propellants stored at extremely low temperatures (around -253°C for hydrogen and -183°C for oxygen).
- Advantages:
- Cryogenic propellants have a high energy density, high fuel efficiency and high specific impulse (more thrust per kilogram of propellant). This allows rockets to carry less fuel, reduces their overall weight and can carry heavier payloads or travel further.
- Cryogenic engines are throttleable (ability to vary/adjust their thrust levels during flight). This capability is essential for precise control during ascent, orbit insertion, manoeuvring, and controlled re-entry of a rocket.
- Challenges:
- They require complex and expensive infrastructure to store and handle extremely cold propellants. E.g., Hydrogen in liquid form needs to be maintained at -253 degrees C (and the liquid oxygen at -184 degrees C) and leaks very easily.
- The initial development process of cryogenic engines and maintenance is expensive.
- Note: ISRO accomplished the human rating of its cryogenic engine (CE-20), which will power the cryogenic stage of the human-rated LVM3 launcher for India’s first human space flight mission (Gaganyaan).