Isro Successfully Tests Next-gen LME1100 Engine to Power Future Lunar Missions

Nellore: Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has made significant progress in developing an indigenous liquid oxygen (LOX)-Methane rocket engine, a key technology for its Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) and the future human-rated heavy-lift launch vehicle for crewed lunar landing missions targeted in 2040.

The Indian space agency successfully conducted the first ignition test of the full-scale gas generator for its 1,100-kN LOX-Methane (LME1100) engine on October 9, marking an important milestone in the next-gen development programme.

Isro initiated work on LOX-Methane propulsion in 2019, considering its cleaner combustion, lower maintenance requirements and suitability for reusable launch vehicles.

The technology could also support future Mars missions, as methane can potentially be produced using resources available on that planet.

As part of the initial effort, Isro developed and tested a 20-tonne-thrust technology demonstrator engine during 2019–20.

One cold-flow test and five hot tests provided crucial inputs on engine ignition, start-up, combustion, cooling and turbopump performance.

Building on this experience, the agency formally launched the development of the LME1100 in 2023.

Designed around a gas-generator cycle, the engine focuses on cost-effectiveness and ease of industrial production.

More than 70 per cent of its components have been manufactured using additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, with active participation from Indian industries.

The gas generator is undergoing qualification tests at Isro's Propulsion Complex (IPRC).

Sub-scale thrust chamber tests have helped optimise injector configurations and validate ignition systems.

LOX and methane turbopumps, bearings, and dynamic sealing systems are undergoing various stages of testing at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and IPRC.

The integrated LME1100 engine is targeted for completion by mid-2027, followed by extensive hot tests to qualify it under different operating conditions, including varying thrust levels.

In the interim, Isro has completed designs of a more powerful 2,400-kN LOX-Methane engine based on the full-flow staged combustion cycle.

The engine is expected to power a future heavy-lift human-rated launch vehicle, strengthening India's capability for crewed lunar exploration.