By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru, January 1, 2026. ISRO is advancing its semi-cryogenic engine program with preparations underway for the fully integrated hot test of the SE-2000 engine, previously known as SCE-2000.
This high-thrust engine, designed to deliver 2,000 kN, forms the core of the SC120 propulsion stage, which will replace the existing L110 liquid core stage on the LVM-3 rocket that currently provides 1,600 kN of thrust. The development underscores India’s push towards indigenous propulsion technologies for enhanced launch capabilities.
The SE-2000 employs an oxidiser-rich staged combustion cycle using liquid oxygen and kerosene, propellants noted for their non-toxic and non-hazardous properties.
These enable a chamber pressure of 180 bar and a specific impulse of 335 seconds, surpassing the performance of the hydrazine-based L110 system. Such advancements promise greater efficiency, reduced operational hazards, and alignment with global trends in cost-effective rocketry.
Testing has progressed through multiple hot-fire trials of the Power Head Test Article (PHTA), which integrates all engine systems except the thrust chamber. The first test occurred in May 2023, followed by a second in May 2024 and a third in May 2025 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
Subsequent PHTA tests included a 2.5-second run on 28 March 2025, a 3.5-second trial on 24 April 2025, and a third achieving 60% rated power for 3 seconds on 28 May 2025, validating turbo-pumps, pre-burners, start systems, and controls.
Responses to Right to Information queries confirm five short-duration PHTA hot tests have been completed successfully, with further trials ongoing ahead of the first fully integrated engine test.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, stated that power head tests continue, with all components except the thrust chamber operational, and the agency is gearing up for the integrated test. No firm completion date has been announced, but RTI disclosures affirm the project’s active status, dispelling abandonment rumours.
Integration of the SC120 stage promises substantial payload gains for LVM-3, boosting Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) capacity from 4 to 5 tons and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) from 8 to 10 tons.
This upgrade will support heavier satellite launches, bolster India’s position in the commercial space market, and enable ambitious missions including lunar explorations. The engine’s reusability features position it for future recoverable rockets, with first stages designed to return to launch pads or ocean platforms.
Conducted at the Semi-cryogenic Integrated Engine Test Facility (SIET) within IPRC—inaugurated in 2024—these efforts leverage indigenous manufacturing collaborations for components and space-grade kerosene.
The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) leads development, emphasising self-reliance amid past technology denial challenges faced by predecessors in cryogenic programs. Operational entry of the enhanced LVM-3 is targeted around 2027, heralding a new phase in India’s space program.
(With ISRO Inputs)
