RAS question
How long was the full-power test of ISRO's CE20 cryogenic engine recently conducted at Mahendragiri?
Correct answer: (B) 165 seconds.
ISRO's CE20 cryogenic engine completed a 165-second sea-level full-power test at Mahendragiri.
Explanation
ISRO's March 2026 sea-level hot test of the CE20 cryogenic engine at the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, lasted 165 seconds. The engine was tested at the 22-tonne thrust level using a nozzle protection system and a multi-element igniter. This matters because the CE20 powers the upper cryogenic stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle, and ISRO notes that future LVM3 missions are planned with an uprated C32 stage using 22-tonne thrust to enhance payload capability. The test therefore qualified sea-level testing of the engine for the full 165-second duration at that thrust level, with both engine and test-facility performance reported as expected throughout.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 120 seconds is shorter than the duration ISRO reported for the qualified sea-level CE20 test at 22-tonne thrust.
- (C) 200 seconds overstates the test duration; ISRO specifies a 165-second test duration for this CE20 sea-level hot test.
- (D) 90 seconds is not supported by the ISRO report, which records the engine test as lasting 165 seconds.
Concept
This tests current affairs in space technology, especially ISRO launch-vehicle propulsion. RAS repeats such items because engine tests, launch vehicles and mission-readiness milestones link science and technology with national institutions.