Human Rated Engine Delivered

Human Rated Engine Boosts India’s Spaceflight Readiness: India’s human spaceflight ambitions received a major upgrade with the delivery of the human-rated Vikas engine by Godrej Aerospace. This engine is built for the L110 stage of the LVM-3, which is the designated launch vehicle for the Gaganyaan mission. The delivery signals that India’s crew launch systems are moving from development to mission-ready status.
The human-rating process makes the engine capable of meeting strict safety and reliability criteria essential for missions involving astronauts.

Why the Engine Matters

The Vikas engine plays a central role in ensuring stable propulsion during the early phase of launch. For a human-rated system, every component must withstand multiple failure scenarios without compromising crew safety.
Human-rating involves enhanced redundancy, improved material tolerances, and repeat testing under extreme conditions. This push brings ISRO closer to conducting its next uncrewed test flights.

Static GK fact: The Vikas engine traces its origin to the French “Viking” engine developed in the 1970s.

Gaganyaan Mission Overview

The Gaganyaan programme aims to send a three-member Indian crew into low Earth orbit for approximately three days. If successful, India will join the USA, Russia, and China as the only nations to achieve independent human spaceflight capabilities.
India’s phased plan includes validating crew escape systems, orbital re-entry, and safe splashdown recovery before the first crewed attempt.

Key Upcoming Milestones

The first uncrewed test mission is expected in 2026, focusing on verifying the module’s design and safety systems. A full crewed mission is targeted for 2027 once all systems meet human-rated standards.
Astronaut training, involving domestic and international facilities, is already progressing with modules including survival training, microgravity simulation, and spacecraft procedures.

Static GK Tip: The first Indian to travel to space was Rakesh Sharma onboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission in 1984.

Godrej Aerospace’s Role

Godrej Aerospace has remained a cornerstone of India’s propulsion ecosystem for more than four decades. Its manufacturing includes engines and components for PSLV, GSLV, and LVM-3, along with hardware for Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan.
The company has also supplied components for the NASA–ISRO NISAR satellite, strengthening global partnerships. The delivery of the human-rated engine demonstrates the strength of Indian industry-space agency collaboration.

India’s Growing Space Capabilities

Human-rating the Vikas engine reflects India’s maturing ecosystem in advanced propulsion and mission safety systems. It also highlights the growth of public-private partnerships in strategic sectors such as aerospace.
The Gaganyaan project is expected to accelerate domestic research in life-support systems, re-entry technologies, and orbital docking capabilities.

Static GK fact: ISRO was founded in 1969 and operates under the Department of Space headquartered in Bengaluru.

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