THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The successful liftoff of Chandrayaan-3 from Sriharikota on Friday was extra special for four Kerala firms, three of them public sector undertakings (PSUs), whose contributions helped turn India’s third mission to the Moon into reality. Various products manufactured by Keltron, Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd, Steel and Industrial Forgings Ltd (SIFL), and Thiruvananthapuram-based Kortas Industries Pvt Ltd have been used in the mission.
While Keltron provided 41 electronic modules, KMML supplied titanium sponge metal which is used for making critical components. SIFL provided titanium and aluminium forgings and other accessories. Kortas Industries, an aerospace manufacturing company located in the industrial development area in Veli, provided numerous sub-assemblies for various stages of the mission.
“As India stands proudly in front of the world, Kerala can also be proud to be a part of this mission,” said Industries Minister P Rajeeve.
All four firms have been associated with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) for providing components for various projects. Keltron, which has 30 years of experience in space electronics, this time provided interface packages on the satellite launch vehicle LVM-3, avionics packages, power modules for Chandrayaan, and test and evaluation support.
SIFL’s expertise in crafting alloy forgings is well utilised by ISRO
Keltron has been a part of the mission by maintaining assembling and fabrication processes as per ISRO’s quality control standards. The Keltron Equipment Complex in Karakulam and Keltron Communication Complex in Manvila, Thiruvananthapuram, as well as its marketing office in Bengaluru, are behind the project.
“Keltron provides about 50 electronics products out of 300 or so in most satellite launch systems. Through this, Keltron is also becoming a part of the localised manufacturing of electronics products required for the space sector,” the PSU said in a statement.
KMML’s titanium sponge plant in Chavara, Kollam, was a dream project of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. The plant was commissioned in 2011 to meet India’s strategic interests. Despite hiccups, the PSU managed to provide titanium sponge for both Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3.
“KMML is in the process of recycling magnesium chloride to separate magnesium. Besides Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, the Navy has also shown interest in our product now,” said a KMML official.
Thrissur-based SIFL has supplied different products using its unique expertise as the lone forging company in the public sector. The PSU has indigenously developed various components for LVM-3, the separation system, the Vikas engine (liquid fuel rocket engine), and the CE-20 cryogenic engine (power the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle).
It is also contributing to complicated forgings for Ganganyaan, ISRO’s man space mission. Kortas Industries too has supplied the most critical systems for launch vehicles such as PSLV, GSLVMk-II, and LVM-3 and also for man-space missions.