L&T delivers first launch hardware for Gaganyaan despite Covid-19 restrictions

In a major boost to India’s ambitious human space flight programme amid times of Covid-19 pandemic infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro, delivered the first hardware - a booster segment - for the Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle.

The booster segment has been made at L&T’s Powai Aerospace Manufacturing Facility in Mumbai for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The delivery was made ahead of schedule in a virtual flag-off ceremony presided over by Dr K Sivan, the ISRO Chairman, and Jayant Patil, Whole-time Director and Member of L&T Board – coinciding with the Diwali festivities.

This ceremony was graced by Dr S Somnath, Director VSSC; Dr V R Lalithambika, Director DHSP, and Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair, Director HSFC, members of the scientific community across ISRO laboratories and officials from Larsen & Toubro.

L&T is playing a vital role in powering ISRO’s human space flight programme.

A trusted partner of ISRO 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 missions.

The critical booster segment has a diameter of 3.2 metres, lengths of 8.5 metres, and weighs 5.5 tonnes.

Complimenting the ISRO and L&T teams, Dr Sivan said: “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.”

Patil, Whole-Time Director and Senior Executive Vice President (Defence & Smart Technologies), L&T said: “We felt honoured to be trusted by ISRO in this extremely critical space program, where the best engineering minds and skilled hands of L&T are meeting the technological challenges with ISRO, its five-decade-old partner. We are confident that together with ISRO scientists, L&T engineers and technicians will fulfill aspirations of the nation.”

"The GSLV Mk III launcher which is ISRO’s heavy-lift launcher is identified for Gaganyaan mission given its requisite payload carrying capacity for launching an Orbiter module in a desired elliptical orbit. The S-200 forms the solid propellant booster for this launch vehicle," an L&T press statement said.