Article Posted on : - Sep 24, 2014

NEW DELHI (PTI): Engineering major L&T on Wednesday said it played a significant role in the launch of Mars spacecraft by supplying critical launch systems and tracking equipment for the prestigious project.

"L&T Heavy Engineering had played a key role in ISRO's Mars orbiter mission as India became the first country to successfully enter Martian orbit in its maiden attempt," the company said in a statement.

"L&T was a significant private-sector supplier to this momentous mission - a significant milestone in India's space programme," it added.

The statement came soon after India created space history by successfully placing its low-cost Mars spacecraft in orbit around the Red Planet in its very first attempt, catapulting the country into an elite club of three nations.

"L&T Heavy Engineering was closely involved in the project that helped India become the sixth nation - after the US, Russia, China, Japan and the European Union - to launch a mission to the red planet. L&T had supplied the critical launch systems and tracking equipment," the company said.

The launch of the 44.4-metre, 316-tonne PSLV-C25 which was rocketed into orbit using S139 motor casings including the IRS Type mechanisms for deployment of satellite solar panels were manufactured at L&T's Aerospace Shop at Powai, the company said.

The electronic packages were mounted on the upper stage of PSLV-C25 and the heat shield using honeycomb deck panels were manufactured at L&T's Advanced Composite facility at Vadodara.

"The tracking systems like the 32-m diameter Deep Space Network Antenna at ISTRAC's tracking facility was installed and commissioned by L&T's Aerospace business - which also manufactured the antenna's mount structure and 13-m diameter bull gear (made for the first time in India)," it said.

PSLV-C25 was tracked by C-Band precision mono-pulse tracking radar developed indigenously by L&T.