Engineering major L&T Larsen & Toubro on Tuesday said it has delivered the first hardware — a booster segment — for the Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle to ISRO ahead of schedule, despite COVID-19 restrictions.
“Notwithstanding the limitations imposed by COVID-19, the Middle segment of the world”s third-largest solid propellant rocket booster – ”S-200”, has been delivered ahead of schedule with zero-defects,” the company said in a filing to BSE.
The segment was produced at L&T”s Powai aerospace manufacturing facility, meeting the enhanced quality and timeline requirements for India”s maiden manned spacecraft mission.
Terming this maiden delivery as a magnificent Diwali gift to the nation, ISRO Chairman K Sivan complimented ISRO and L&T teams, adding “both the teams have relentlessly worked on realising the flight hardware ahead of schedule while maintaining the highest quality standards required for a human space flight mission.”
“We are confident that together with ISRO scientists, L&T engineers and technicians will fulfil aspirations of the nation,” said J D Patil, whole-time director and senior executive vice president (defence and smart technologies), L&T.
L&T is playing a vital role in powering ISRO”s Human Space Flight Program (HSFP).
A trusted partner of the Indian Space Research Organisation for almost five decades, L&T has been involved in the production of a range of hardware for every mission of ISRO, including the acclaimed Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan, the company said.
The critical booster segment, with a diameter of 3.2 metres, 8.5 metres in length and weighing 5.5 tonnes, was jointly flagged off in a virtual event.
India’s Gaganyaan mission, announced some two years ago, aims to send a three-member crew to space for a period of five to seven days by 2022 when India completes 75 years of Independence.
It’s first leg, an unmanned space mission that was planned for December 2020, has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The manned mission was originally scheduled for December 2021, but is now likely to be delayed, although all efforts are on to stick to original plan.
The Indian astronauts will be placed in a low-earth orbit of 300-400 kilometres. The total programme cost is expected to be less than Rs 10,000 crores.
