The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced it has successfully tested a full-fledged cryogenic stage in rocketry for 50 seconds with a thrust of 7.5 tons making it the 6th nation in the world to have achieved this feat. Revealing details of the test, ISRO Chairman Madhavan Nair said that the experiment was conducted at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu and the performance was “absolutely flawless.”

In mid-1990s, under intense pressure from the US Bill Clinton Administration, Russia denied India the cryogenic engines that it needed for Geosynchronous Satellites. While Russia agreed to not transfer technology, it did supply India with enough equipment that could sustain early efforts. Since then, India embarked on research and development of cryogenic engines and this is a culmination of that effort. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) requires this technology at the third stage, it needs a burn time of more than 720 seconds and therefore there is more to be done- Nair said that will be done soon. When complete, India will be able to take its own cryogenic stage technology into the next version of the GSLV.

The other nations who have this capability include U.S. , Russia, European Space Agency, China, and Japan .