HAL plans facility for ISRO's cryogenic engines

The manufacturing facilities for integrated cryogenic engines will be set up at HAL’s Aerospace Division in Bangalore said K Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

 

Delivering the seventh L M Khatre Memorial Lecture 'Indian Space Programme: Emerging Frontiers' at the HAL Convention Centre here at weekend, he said HAL will continue to play an important role in the future programmes of ISRO.

 

The facility which will be set up at a cost of Rs 139 crore, will produce cryogenic engines and complex components for its GSLV and future rockets, and it is expected to be ready in three years.

 

“We have our own workstation where we produce structures, tankages and assemble rocket stages. All these require capacities. With one more work centre, the capacity can be increased,” he said.

 

Presently, HAL assembles stages of the GSLV Mk-III vehicle which can place four-tonne satellites in orbit. The structure for a Mars orbiter spacecraft, due for launch in October, also comes from its aerospace facility. The space programme includes the ongoing GSLV and the heavier-lift GSLV Mk-III launch vehicles besides a future rocket powered by a semi-cryogenic engine.  

 

Speaking on the occasion, R K Tyagi, Chairman, HAL, stressed that creativity and innovation are key to success in aerospace sector.  He added that HAL is the biggest investor in defence R&D in India with the defence PSU spending about 12 per cent of its turnover on research activities which is far ahead of other PSUs and private players. "We filed 67 patents in 2012-13 and we are aiming for more this year," he added.

 

Tyagi also said that civil aircraft development should be a national priority as India is slated to emerge as the third largest aviation market by 2020. Not only this, India has the potential to be a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) hub due to the growing aircraft fleet, location advantage and availability of cost-effective talent. With established quality systems, infrastructure, dedicated overhaul division and other facilities, HAL can contribute in a big way in all these segments, he added.