Indian space program technicians tested two rocket engines last weekend in hopes of providing a better domestic capability for the production of rocket hardware and improving performance.

Both test firings for India's two primary launchers took place a week ago Saturday.

One of the tests was a 12-minute firing of the newly developed cryogenic upper stage for the Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle, or GSLV, that was successfully flown on its maiden launch one year ago.

The test was the first full-length burn of the indigenous third stage engine, coming after a series of four shorter firings over the past few weeks.

Russia was to supply India with rocket expertise and hardware, but they instead only gave India seven engines to use on GSLV upper stages. Once that stockpile is used, India will have to rely on its own knowledge and equipment for future launches, which is where the recently-tested engine comes into play.

The new engine can develop up to 14,000 pounds of thrust in a vacuum, about the same amount of power behind the Russian RD-56M cryogenic engine that was used in the maiden launch.

During the inaugural flight of the GSLV in April 2001, the RD-56M on the upper stage experienced a performance shortfall that left the mission's payload in a slightly low orbit. That launch also marked the first in-flight firing of an RD-56M, even though its design has been around for many years.

A revamped solid rocket motor for India's smaller Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was also tested.

The third stage motor has a normal burn time of 112 seconds and Saturday's test was the second of its kind.

Several changes have enhanced the motor, so it now produces around 38,000 pounds of thrust at sea level. The redesign of the nozzle and casing has allowed the payload capacity of the PSLV to be increased by over 150 pounds. The first use of the new design will be on the next PSLV flight.