In 1995 the partners CNES, Dasa, SEP and DLr started the operation of the European research and technology test bench P8. This test facility designed for high pressure GH2/LOX combustion is jointly used by the partners in order to concentrate research and technology activities. The main objective is to increase the basic knowledge about the governing processes inside the combustion chamber at high pressures and to advance new combustor technologies for future cryogenic engines. Since 1995 a large number of successful experiments and test campaigns have been carried out concerning new technological developments as thermal barrier coatings, ceramic cooling elements, supersonic nozzles, injection elements and subscale models of upper stage combustion chambers. In the field of combustion research new results about the behaviour of the atomisation and reactive flow phenomena have been gained. Designing future engines requires a reliable analysis of the thermal boundary conditions. Especially the expander cycle requires good heat transfer behaviour of the chamber walls in order to heat up the cryogenic hydrogen efficiently.