New Rocket Engine Similar to SpaceX Raptor Unveiled in India

India’s Astrobase Space Technologies has unveiled the methane-fueled Everest engine, based on one of the most complex designs in modern rocketry. According to ixbt.com, the engine can develop a claimed thrust of 80 ton-force, and its creation is expected to intensify competition in the space technology market. As ixbt.com the outlet reports.

Full-Flow Gasification Technology

The new Everest engine is based on the use of oxygen and methane, along with a closed-cycle Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) system that fully gasifies the propellants. According to the company, SpaceX uses the same principle in its Raptor engines, which power Elon Musk’s Starship rockets.

The engine design incorporates two specialized gas generators. In one, a small portion of the fuel is burned with excess oxidizer, while the other uses the opposite mixture ratio. As a result, both the fuel and oxidizer enter the main combustion chamber directly in gaseous form.

Upcoming Tests and Planned Flights

This technological approach makes it possible to significantly reduce the size of the combustion chamber, accelerate combustion processes, and improve the engine’s efficiency and specific impulse. This, in turn, represents an important step in modern rocketry.

According to Astrobase Space Technologies representatives, the first hot-fire tests of the new Everest engine are expected to take place within the next few months. In the future, the unit is planned to be installed on a medium-class reusable launch vehicle.

Experts predict that the reusable rocket’s first successful flight is unlikely to take place before 2028. The company’s specialists are currently working intensively to prepare for the testing phase.