- Lander Vikram is on the south pole of the moon
- 40 days & 615 Crore rupees : ISRO’s success formula
By Sangeeta Saxena
New Delhi. 23 August 2023. A day India will always remember and moments every Indian will forever cherish. ISRO has done it ! The country has landed on the moon and stands in the elite club with US, Russia and China. Lander Vikram sent the message that it has reached its destination. And world’s eyes are on India.
The journey has been incredible , the dedication shown in ensuring a smooth mission and not letting failures detter the motivation-ISRO is the biggest success story of the nation. 40 days, 3 hrs & 29 mins after launch, CHANDRAYAAN-3 has successfully touched down on the Lunar surface. The communication link is established between the Ch-3 Lander and MOX-ISTRAC, Bengaluru.
Although ISRO took the lead in overseeing the project from start to finish, it also deserves praise for encouraging a network of vendors that included both public and private sector participants.
For the current mission, ISRO has purchased batteries from Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), electronic power modules and test and evaluation systems from Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (KELTRON), launch vehicle booster segments and subsystems from Larsen & Toubro, and mission components made by Walchand Industries. Critical parts like liquid propulsion engines, satellite thrusters, and control module components were donated by Godrej & Boyce. The vital parts for the launch vehicle’s testing at National Aerospace Laboratories were supplied by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Smaller and more specialized players also contributed to the task. The launch vehicle and avionics packages both included work from Ananth Technologies. More than 200 mission-critical modules and subsystems have been given by Centum Electronics, and MTAR Technologies has contributed components for the lander’s propulsion system and the rover’s navigation system.
Sri Venkateswara Aerospace produced Vikram’s legs and the rover’s chassis, while Himson Industrial Ceramic supplied parts to withstand high temperatures. The heat shield and wheels of the lander were made of alloys from Midhani, and the navigation system was made by Paras Defence and Space Technologies. Chandrayaan-3 is definitely ISRO’s baby but it is the biggest success story of Make in India. It needs a shout out for having created such an effective indigenous supply chain.
