ISRO’s largest rocket, LVM3, is set up to launch three times it’s current rate in a year in new collaboration

The Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) will soon be inaugurating it’s capacity to launch six of its largest rockets, the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), from currently being able to launch only two a year. 

The LVM3, also known as the GSLV Mk III, is a three-stage vehicle designed to carry 4-ton class communication satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is nearly twice the capability of the GSLV Mk II. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is responsible for the high-scale launch frequency as the primary supplier of it’s manufacturing facilities. 

HAL Enhances Production Capabilities to Support LVM3 Rocket and ISRO Missions

HAL has scaled up it’s facilities and improved the manufacturing capabilities by involving the use of larger components for the three-stage 640-ton rocket which India uses to propel the 4-ton class communication satellites to GTO and places dozens of small satellites that fit into parts of larger constellations. 

Alongside this, new facilities have been introduced at the PSU’s Aerospace Division by ISRO chairman DR. S. Somanath and HAL CMD CB Ananthakrishnan. 

Among the newly inaugurated facilities are the Propellant Tank Production Facility that will be focused towards developing fuel and oxidiser tanks for the LVM3 launch vehicles. These tanks are to measure 4 metres in diameter and 15 metres in length.

The Computer Numerical Control (CNC) facility will be home to machines that can handle high-precision fabrication 4.5-metre rings and fuel tank domes for the LVM3 rocket. It will be a very significant boost to ISRO’s production capabilities, particularly for the LVM3 launch vehicle.

Somanath emphasised the importance of emerging technologies and design challenges in the space industry during the inauguration of the HAL Aerospace Division facilities. He highlighted that India’s spacefaring age is not a distant dream anymore, and that HAL will dedicate itself to being able to tap down on it’s potential despite it’s common repertoire for manufacturing aircraft and helicopters for the Indian Armed Forces. 

“HAL has enormous capacities and this potential should be explored in the larger interest of both the organisations. HAL will play a larger role in ISRO’s future missions and hence should focus on emerging technologies, designing challenges and take up end-to-end tasks to ease pressure on ISRO,” Somanath said. 

“The day is not far off when space becomes an important vertical for HAL,” Ananthakrishnan added, confirming that this collaboration will lead to an innovative future for Indian spaceflight missions and the development of Next-Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV). 

HAL has also pitched in with a statement, saying, “The first generation Gaganyaan service module and LVM3 ½ U Isogrid Version hardware were symbolically handed over to ISRO.”

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