ISRO successfully carried out demonstration of restarting its Vikas liquid engine at a test facility at Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri.

• It is a step towards developing technologies for recovery of stages, leading to reusability in future launch vehicles which could substantially reduce cost of future space missions.

About Vikas (Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai) Engine

• It has been conceptualized and designed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).
  • LPSC is centre for design, development and realisation of liquid propulsion stages for ISRO's Launch Vehicles.
• It is workhorse engine that powers liquid stages of ISRO’s launch vehicles. 
• It improves payload capability of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and GSLV Mk-III launch vehicles. 

PSLV (Third generation launch vehicle)

• First Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
• Four stage vehicle with multiple satellite launch capability and multiple orbit capability. Second and fourth stages are powered by liquid propulsion engines.
  • Second stage is powered by a Vikas engine. It uses UDMH (Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine) as fuel and Nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) as oxidiser.

GSLV 

• Three stage vehicle used to launch communication satellites in geo transfer orbit using cryogenic third stage.
  • Its second stage is powered by Vikas engines.