Hyderabad: Even as scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation are celebrating the epoch-making success of the Mar Obiter Mission, thousands of employees at hundreds of companies across India are sharing their elation.
“Our engineers and workmen were extremely happy about being part of this success. Though we have been part of Isro’s missions, this will take us to a different level altogether. Also, we genuinely appreciate Isro which guided us to achieve this feat,” M.V. Kotwal, member of the Larsen & Toubro Board and president, heavy engineering, told Deccan Chronicle.
L&T is one of hundreds of companies, including SMEs, which have supplied components to India’s maiden interplanetary mission.
According to Mr Kotwal, L&T had built three of the five rocket motor segments, and a highly sophisticated solar array deployment system for the spacecraft. The company has also manufactured a 4,000-km range radar at Sriharikota and a 32-metre deep space antenna, which was used for tracking the space mission from Bengaluru.
MOM also has a specific Hyderabad connection. The alloy to make rocket motor segments was made at state-run Midhani.
Walchandnagar Industries, Mumbai, supplied rocket motor casing and nozzles for the Zeroth and PSLV that were used to launch the spacecraft. Isro officials, he said, used to camp at Walchandnagar Industries to ensure that components were made according to their requirements.
Since Mangalyaan was launched, Walchandnagar Industries has gained nearly 200 per cent in share prices.
“The success of Mangalyaan has boosted the confidence of the Indian space community. We expect the government will permit many such expeditions by Isro,” S.M. Vaidya, executive vice-president and business head of Godrej Aerospace, told Deccan Chronicle.
The components that Godrej Aerospace made for Isro include 2nd stage liquid engine-Vikas for the launch vehicle, and critical parts of the 440N LAM engine which was fired on Wednesday to slow the spacecraft to put in the orbit, 22N Thrusters, mould for the onboard antenna reflector and a subsystem of ground system antenna.
Centum Electronics, whose share price has tripled since November 2013, has been associated with 150 modules and subsystems used for both the launch vehicle and the satellite.
According to the company's statement, its microelectronic modules were used for Inertial Referencing and Accelerometer Packages, which have demonstrated excellent performance providing crucial data of incremental velocity measurements during Liquid Engine Burns as well as in orbit conditions.
