Defence major Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAl) has delivered Orbiter Craft Module Structure of Chandrayaan-II, India’s second lunar exploration mission, to ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. A Press release issued by HAl on Monday said “HAl has handed over ‘Orbiter Craft Module Structure’ of Chandrayaan-II to Indian Space Research Organisation( ISRO).
HAl chairman and managing director T Suvarna Raju, said “The Orbiter Craft Module is a three-tonne category bus structure made out of a central composite cylinder, shear webs and deck panels”.The Orbiter with scientific payloads will orbit around the moon and the lander will soft land on the planet at a specified site and deploy the Rover. The scientific payloads onboard the Orbiter, lander and Rover are expected to perform mineralogical and elemental studies of the lunar surface.
According to ISRO’s plans, Chandrayaan-II will be launched by a Geo-Stationary Satellite launch Vehicle (GSlV-MKII) during the next two to three years. HAl, in a release said, its technical capabilities have made ISRO to partner with the PSU in all its space endeavours since the 1970s, including the recent much acclaimed low cost Mars Mission.
HAl has an Aerospace division at Bengaluru totally dedicated to cater to ISRO’s growing requirements. HAl has partnered and supported ISRO throughout its journey by providing hardware for satellites, SlV, ASlV, PSlV, GSlVMKII and GSlV MKIII (lVM3).HAl’s association with India’s prestigious Space Program dates back to early 70s, when HAl provided technical inputs and manufacturing support to ISRO for realisation of light alloy structural assemblies for satellites and launch vehicle. “HAl had built the structural assembly of India’s first satellite “Aryabhata” which was launched on April 19, 1975.
