Next stage

Indigenous cryogenic engine lift-off for India's space programme

The launch of the third-generation weather satellite Insat-3DS by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Saturday was hailed as a big achievement. While the satellite enhances India’s weather-prediction abilities, the aerospace agency was thrilled with the trouble-free performance of the engine, the GSLV F14 rocket with a cryogenic third stage. India has struggled for four decades to develop an indigenous cryogenic engine. This “mature” and “smart” performance not only has huge positive implications for India’s aerospace ambitions but could potentially also give a new dimension to military capabilities.

Cryogenic engines use mixes of liquefied gases (usually hydrogen and oxygen), which