'SAIL supplied special-quality steel for Chandrayaan-2'

State-owned SAIL Monday said it supplied special-quality stainless steel from its Salem Steel Plant for the country's moon mission Chandrayaan-2.

"Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has supplied special-quality stainless steel from its Salem Steel Plant for India's moon mission Chandrayaan-2 meeting the ISRO's requirements for stringent specifications, superior surface finish and close tolerances," SAIL said in a statement.

Earlier also, SAIL collaborated with ISRO to provide quality steel for the country's prestigious and indigenous space missions.

For the Chandrayaan-2, SAIL's special-quality sheet has been used in the Cryogenic Engine.

SAIL along with ISRO has taken a major step forward as part of the Make In India initiative advanced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for indigenously developing the "exotic Russian grade ICSS-1218-321(12X18H10T) austenitic stabilised stainless steel used in the construction of the cryogenic rocket engines that are being made at ISRO".

As part of this initiative, scientists from the Liquid Propulsion System Centre of ISRO and the SAIL team at its Salem Steel Plant have closely collaborated and rolled the stainless steel coils at Salem.

With this breakthrough, SAIL is optimistic of leveraging other aerospace grades of stainless steel for the space launch vehicle components in future.

Aiming to take a "billion dreams to the moon", India on Monday successfully launched its second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 on-board its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 from the spaceport here to explore the unchartered south pole of the celestial body by landing a rover.