Overview

• On May 28 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, ISRO completed the third hot test of the SE2000’s Power Head Test Article, confirming ignition and start-up sequences.
• During the three-second firing the engine reached 60% of its rated thrust and demonstrated stable, controlled performance throughout.
• The May 28 run capped a phased series of tests—beginning with a 2.5-second trial on March 28 and a 3.5-second evaluation on April 24—paving the way for integrated engine-level trials.
• The 2,000 kN-class SE2000 uses a liquid oxygen-kerosene oxidizer-rich staged combustion cycle to achieve 180 bar chamber pressure and a 335-second specific impulse.
• Integrated as the SC120 stage on LVM3 by 2027, the SE2000 will replace the L110 core and boost Geostationary Transfer Orbit capacity to 5 tonnes and Low Earth Orbit payloads to 10 tonnes.