Industries benefit as Isro farms out equipment manufacturing
19 Dec 2014
The Indian Space Research Orgainsation (Isro) is farming out the manufacture of engines and rocket components among Indian industries such as Godrej and Boyce and Walchandnagar Industries, helping these industries to enter new lines of businesses in the process.
Godrej Aerospace has been awarded the contract to manufacture more powerful and environment-friendly semi-cryogenic engines for Isro. The company has supplied over a hundred Vikas engines to isro so far.
Godrej Aerospace, a division of Godrej & Boyce Ltd, has been supplying the Vikas engines for Isro rockets, including the two used for the GSLV Mk III that was launched on Thursday.
Godrej will be developing semi cryogenic engines (SME) that use a combination of liquid oxygen and kerosene, rather the ones that use liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
Godrej, which has been awarded the contract to manufacture six engines for Isro, has already started work on three.
SME is meant to power the future GSLV Mk III rockets as well as the heavy-lift Unified Launch Vehicles, or ULV, which will be a modular vehicle where the number of engines used will be based on the weight of the satellite or spacecraft.
Meanwhile, Walchandnagar Industries has been a supplier or rocket components to Isro for over two decades. The company supplied motorcases, tankages and end rings for the GSLV Mk III.
In fact, Isro is funding the purchase of equipment such as vertical boring and precision welding worth about Rs30 crore for use by Walchandnagar Industries Ltd, for making rocket components.
Walchandnar Industries, however, will not own those equipment as they will remain Isro property.
These machines, however, will ensure the company guaranteed business from Isro for 25 years.