New Delhi: ISRO has successfully demonstrated the capability of the CE20 cryogenic engine for starting in the bootstrap mode. The indigenously developed engine was successfully conducted under vacuum conditions at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu on 7 November, 2025. The engine was fired for a duration of 10 seconds, with a multi-element igniter used for both the thrust chamber and gas generator to enable the bootstrap starting. Following the ignition of the thrust chamber, the gas generator was ignited under tank head conditions, and the turbopumps were started without the use of the startup system, after which the boostrap mode buildup and steady-state operation of the engine was successfully demonstrated.

The CE20 engine is used for the upper stage of the LVM3

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