11 Indian Companies Behind The Successful Launch Of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Mission

With the successful landing of the Lander Module of ISRO’s third Lunar Mission, India became the first nation to land on the South Pole of the Moon at 6:04 pm IST. To mark India’s presence on the Moon, the rover Pragyan emerged from the lander’s belly and manoeuvred onto the lunar terrain. Pragyan left imprints of the ISRO logo and India’s national emblem, the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

While ISRO led the Chandrayaan-3 mission, many startups and companies made significant contributions to its successful launch. Their hard work and dedication over many years are worthy of recognition.

Curious? Here’s the list of the companies behind the success of Chandrayaan-3.

1. Larsen and Toubro (L&T)

L&T has been playing a critical role in the launch of the LVM3 M4 Chandrayaan Mission. The company has been involved in the mission starting from the manufacturing of subsystems to mission tracking.

L&T was behind the manufacturing and proof pressure testing of critical booster segments, namely the head end segment, middle segment and nozzle bucket flange, with a diameter of 3.2 meters.

L&T supplied ground and flight umbilical plates, manufactured from L&T’s hi-tech Aerospace Manufacturing Facility at Coimbatore. L&T played a key role in the system navigation of Launch Vehicle for the Indian Space Programme.

L&T has been associated with India’s Space Program for over five decades. L&T is playing a critical role in the launch of LVM3 M4 Chandrayaan Mission 🇮🇳
Read more: https://t.co/MZXUHbHldi@isro#LarsenToubroNews #Chandrayaan3 pic.twitter.com/WrGr6GMDyd

— Larsen & Toubro (@larsentoubro) July 13, 2023

2. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

HAL has been a key contributor to the Chandrayaan-3. The company is responsible for the supply of several critical components for the lander and rover. The rover’s wheels, landing gear for the lander, bus structure for the lander and rover, propellant tanks and metallic and composite structure of the lander and rover were all supplied by HAL.

HAL also played a key role in the testing and integration of the lander and rover. The company’s expertise in the aerospace sector has been invaluable to the success of Chandrayaan-3.

3. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

BHEL supplied the batteries, bi-metallic adaptors and power conversion systems for the lander and rover.

BHEL’s manufacturing facility in Haridwar was used to manufacture the batteries whereas BHEL’s Welding Research Institute (WRI) in Hyderabad was used to manufacture the bi-metallic adaptors for the lander and rover. The power conversion systems were manufactured in Bangalore by BHEL’s Power Systems Division. All these products were subjected to rigorous testing to ensure their efficiency, strength, durability, safety and performance.

4. Paras Defence and Space Technologies

An Indian company that specializes in defence and space technologies. The company has been involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission in several ways including supplying the navigation system for the lander and rover. PDSL’s navigation system is used to guide the lander and rover to their respective destinations on the moon.

PDSL’s cameras are used to capture images and videos of the lunar surface. PDSL’s thermal control system is used to maintain the temperature of the lander and rover within acceptable limits.

5. Godrej Aerospace

A subsidiary of Godrej & Boyce is the sole supplier of rocket engines and thrusters for the mission.

Godrej Aerospace’s contributions include L110 engines for the core stage of the launch vehicle; CE20 engines for the upper stage of the launch vehicle; and 120 thrusters for the lander and rover. Godrej Aerospace’s involvement is a major milestone for the company and the Indian space programme.

6. Ananth Technologies Ltd.

ATL is an Indian company specializing in aerospace and defence technologies. The company has been a long-standing partner of ISRO and has contributed to several missions, including Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2, and Chandrayaan-3.

On-board computers, avionics packages, navigation systems and various other interface systems for the launch vehicle were provided by ATL. ATL also provided the power management systems, telemetry and telecommand systems for the Chandrayaan-3 orbiter.

7. Walchandnagar Industries

Walchandnagar Industries Ltd has been involved in manufacturing components for all 48 launches till now, right from the first launch of PSLV-D1 in 1993, as per Mint report.

WIL is responsible for the manufacturing and testing of critical booster segments for the launch vehicle. These segments are used to provide thrust to the launch vehicle during its ascent into orbit. These booster segments were manufactured at WIL’s facility in Walchandnagar, near Pune. The nozzle bucket flange and the thrust vector control actuators were also supplied by WIL.

8. Himson Industrial Ceramic

This Indian company specializes in the manufacturing of ceramic components for aerospace and defence applications. Himson Ceramic’s director Nimesh Bachkaniwala said that the company has been producing essential ceramic parts for space missions since 1994 and it has been supplying squibs to ISRO for the last 30 years.

Himson Ceramic supplied squibs to ISRO which are fireproof ceramic components and can even withstand temperatures of 3,000 degrees Celsius.

“Our ceramic components have been used in Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 and now Chandrayaan-3 is also using these components.” said the director.

9. Centum Electronics

An Indian electronics system design and manufacturing company. Centum delivered more than 200 mission-critical modules to the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

10. MTAR Technologies

An Indian manufacturer of precision machined components for a variety of industries, including aerospace, defence, and nuclear power.

ISRO roped in Godrej Aerospace, Hyderabad-based MTAR Technologies, and Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to fabricate the engine and the stage for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

11. Several Kerala Industries

Keltron, KMML, ATL, and Kortas Industries Pvt Ltd. are among the many companies that supplied components for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Keltron, a state-owned enterprise, provided 41 electronics modules and various power modules for the mission. Keltron also provided test and evaluation support for the project.

Kerala Minerals and Metals (KMML) in Kollam supplied a variety of metals and alloys for the mission.

Also read: 6 Upcoming ISRO Missions: Their Objectives And Costs, After Chandrayaan 3