LVM3-M3 Mission: ISRO tests the engine of its heaviest rocket read here

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said that the CE-20 engine has been assigned to the LVM3-M3 mission identified to launch the next 36 OneWeb India-1 satellites.

According to news agency PTI, the flight acceptance hot test of CE-20 engine was carried out at the High Altitude Test Facility of ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu on Friday.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said that the CE-20 engine has been assigned to the LVM3-M3 mission identified to launch the next 36 OneWeb India-1 satellites.

These satellites of London-based satellite communications company OneWeb are expected to be launched early next year by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, on LVM3, sources told PTI.

The flight acceptance test comes within days of the launch of the first set of 36 OneWeb satellites by NSIL from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota on October 23.

According to OneWeb, NSIL and its partnership with ISRO demonstrated its commitment to provide pan-India connectivity by 2023.

From Ladakh to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, OneWeb will bring secure solutions not only to enterprises but also to towns, villages, municipalities and schools, including those in hard-to-reach areas across the country.

"OneWeb's commitment to increasing connectivity in India is backed by Bharti Global, its largest investor," the company said.

Radhakrishnan D, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NSIL, said, “We look forward to strengthening our partnership with OneWeb and harnessing the potential of LEO connectivity to deliver broadband services across India.”

Last Sunday's launch marked the rocket's entry into the global commercial launch services market, according to information from the Bengaluru-headquartered National Space Agency.

NSIL, a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Space, had earlier signed two launch service contracts with Network Access Associated Limited (OneWeb) to launch a total of 72 OneWeb LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites on board ISRO's LVM3 . ,

LVM3, ISRO's heaviest rocket, is capable of launching four-tonne class satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark 3) is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons, a liquid propellant core stage and a cryogenic stage.