India's giant leap in the private space sector; capacity boosted by 800 kN engine

• Bengaluru-based aerospace startup Astrobase Space Technologies has unveiled a rocket engine named ‘EVEREST’.
• According to the company, this is India’s first privately developed 80-tonne class Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) engine.
• Powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane, the engine is capable of generating up to 800 kilonewtons of thrust and has been developed for reusable, medium-lift launch vehicles.
• The development of EVEREST is considered a significant step towards advanced propulsion technology within India's private space sector.
• FFSC technology is employed in engine systems to achieve high performance and superior fuel efficiency. In this technology, both the fuel and the oxidizer pass through separate pre-burner stages before reaching the main combustion chamber.
• Despite its complex architecture, this configuration helps enhance the engine's efficiency, performance, and thrust control.
• According to the company, EVEREST has a specific impulse of approximately 340 seconds and is capable of throttling between 50 and 110 percent.
• The ability to control thrust across such a wide range is particularly useful for reusable rockets.
• Engine thrust often requires rapid adjustment during various flight phases as well as during landing and recovery; EVEREST’s capability in this regard can help meet the requirements of such missions.
• The development of this engine is expected to boost the prospects of creating larger and more capable launch systems within India's private space industry.