The Hindu News Update Service

Bangalore (PTI): India's efforts to acquire self-sufficiency in Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle technology has received a major boost with the "successful" testing of an indigenously developed cryogenic engine.

The test of the indigenously developed cryogenic engine carried out at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu yesterday was successful, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman, G Madhavan Nair, said.

"With this successful test, India's GSLV programme has become absolutely self-reliant," Nair told PTI over phone from Thiruvanathapuram on Friday.

"The GSLV vehicle has become totally indigenous. GSLV was flying with Russian (cryogenic) stage, (so far). With this indigenous stage, we are on our own," he said.

India so far depended on Russia for providing cryogenic engines for its GSLV vehicles. LPSC is the lead centre for development of Cryogenic upper stage (CUS).

The cryogenic engine is required to launch the geosynchronous satellites that are used in communications. This technology was so far confined to Russia, Europe and the US which used it to launch global commercial satellites.

Nair said the flight stage is getting ready for use in the next mission of GSLV (GSLV-D3) next year. "Flight stage is already under preparation at Mahendragiri. Things are progressing well," he said.