Chandrayaan-3: A Team of 50 Engineers from MECON had Designed the Launching Pad for ISRO. | 24 Aug 2023

Why In News?

  • On August 23, 2023, the successful soft landing of India's mission Chandrayaan-3 has been done on the surface of the moon. Jharkhand's capital Ranchi has made a big contribution in this, whose two organizations MECON and HEC have designed the launching pad.

Key Points:

  • This was the third time that India's space agency Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has launched Chandrayaan.
  • Many important equipment of Chandrayaan-3 was also manufactured in HEC. MECON prepared GSLV, the biggest launching pad for ISRO. Its equipment is also made in Ranchi and Tata. MECON handled it from concept to commissioning.
  • MECON engineer Nishith Kumar, who was a part of this project, said that in the year 1999, MECON got the contract to make a launching pad for rocket launch for ISRO. This was the first time that a launching pad was built to launch a rocket in India. Prior to this, India had no experience in building a launching pad for launching rockets.
  • MECON didn't even have any old references. ISRO gave its requirements and a core team of 50 engineers from MECON under the leadership of S. R. Majumdar of MECON started the work and made the project a success.
  • Apart from two companies in Jharkhand, MECON also got equipment made by companies from different parts of the country. Some things were also imported from abroad.
  • MECON's engineer said that the country's prestigious company Tata had manufactured some equipment in Jamshedpur's unit. Ranchi's HEC also manufactured a number of equipment and also did the assembling work. Apart from Chennai company KTV, Mumbai company Godrej, many companies also made equipment for the launching pad. Some equipment was also imported from Russia and Europe.
  • It is known that Ranchi-based Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), which is called Mother of All Industries, has made the Horizontal Sliding Door, Folding cum Vertical Repositionable Platform (FCVRP), Mobile Launching Pedestal and 10 Ton Hammer Head Tower Crane for GSLV. A 10-ton hammer head tower crane maintains the balance of the rocket.
  • ISRO launches all its big rockets from this mobile launching pedestal.