10-29-2006, 09:20 AM
<b>India conducts first cryogenic rocket test</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->BANGALORE: In a major breakthrough in its space programme, India on <b>Saturday successfully conducted the first test of its indigenously developed cryogenic rocket engine at a facility at Mahindragiri in Tamil Nadu</b>.
"We had a very successful first cryogenic stage test at Mahindragiri at 6.20 pm. <b>It is a major milestone in the development of rocket systems in the country</b>," Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said.
The test at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Centre at Mahindragiri lasted 50 seconds, he said.
"Only developed countries have this stage. We have also qualified now," Nair said.
<b>"We will go for one more long duration test in the next three or four days which will make it ready for flight." </b>
The cryogenic rocket engine that ISRO successfully tested on Saturday was equivalent to the "Russian stage" supplied earlier, Nair said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->
"We had a very successful first cryogenic stage test at Mahindragiri at 6.20 pm. <b>It is a major milestone in the development of rocket systems in the country</b>," Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said.
The test at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Centre at Mahindragiri lasted 50 seconds, he said.
"Only developed countries have this stage. We have also qualified now," Nair said.
<b>"We will go for one more long duration test in the next three or four days which will make it ready for flight." </b>
The cryogenic rocket engine that ISRO successfully tested on Saturday was equivalent to the "Russian stage" supplied earlier, Nair said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->