Bengaluru : S. Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, inaugurated state-of-the-art Propellant Tank Production and CNC Machining facilities at HAL’s Aerospace Division today, with Mr. C.B. Ananthakrishnan, CMD (Additional Charge) of HAL, and senior officers from ISRO and HAL in attendance, Press statement from HAL said.

These new facilities will significantly enhance ISRO’s production capabilities, particularly for the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), India’s most powerful rocket. Currently, ISRO can only conduct two LVM3 launches per year, while the demand is for six launches annually. The upgraded facilities will enable HAL to manufacture the critical components necessary to support the production of six LVM3 rockets per year, closing this gap.

Commending HAL’s efforts, Somanath noted that HAL possesses enormous capacities that should be fully explored to benefit both organizations. He emphasized that HAL will play an increasingly significant role in ISRO’s future missions and should focus on emerging technologies, design challenges, and end-to-end tasks to alleviate pressure on ISRO.

Ananthakrishnan highlighted that the collaboration with ISRO will expedite human spaceflight missions and the development of Next-Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV). He expressed HAL’s commitment to further investment to maximize the potential of space programs, envisioning a future where space becomes a key vertical for HAL.

In a symbolic gesture during the program, the first Gaganyaan Service Module and LVM3 ½ U Isogrid Version Hardware were handed over to ISRO. The Propellant Tank Production Facility will specialize in manufacturing high-performance fuel and oxidizer tanks, critical for the LVM3 launch vehicle, with sizes up to 4 meters in diameter and 15 meters in length. The CNC Machining Facility features advanced Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines for high-precision fabrication of 4.5-meter class Rings and Propellant Tank Domes for LVM3.

The event was also attended by Dr. V. Narayanan, Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC);  M. Mohan, Director of Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC); Mr. Mihir Kanti Mishra, Chief Executive Officer of Bangalore Complex-HAL; and  S. Anbuvelan, Chief Executive Officer of Helicopter Complex.