Ajjree Engineering to supply critical components for Isro's space missions

Ajjree Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd said it is set to play a critical role in the future space missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). The Bengaluru-based company on Monday handed over the first batch of "space-qualified heat pipes," an important component in satellites, to the UR Rao Satellite Centre, Isro.

"This is a significant milestone for us. Components of a satellite are not easy to innovate and produce to meet all technical and quality requirements," said Basavvraaj B. Ajrri, managing director, Ajjree Engineering Industries. "We are thankful to Isro for guiding us in delivering these heat pipes at the highest quality. We are proud to be part of future space missions of Isro."

Ajjree Engineering Industries has set up a manufacturing unit at Jigani Industrial Area, Bengaluru, to produce space-qualified heat pipes. It is the second such company approved by Isro to supply such pipes to the UR Rao Satellite Centre. The company said its products undergo stringent testing at its testing centre in Jigani. Paras Defence and Space Technologies Ltd is a strategic partner in this project and has invested Rs 5.5 crore in Ajjree Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd.

On the same occasion, a team from Isro that was part of the successful launch of Chandrayaan 3 was also felicitated by the company.

"If they pass the quality tests, Ajjree Industries could become Isro's secondary supplier of heat pipes. These crucial components are responsible for expelling heat from satellites, ensuring efficient operation," said M. Sankaran, the Director of U R Rao Satellite Centre and a key scientist in the Chandrayaan 3 mission. "It is worth noting that Isro has made commendable progress towards self-reliance, with 60 per cent of satellite components being made in India. The goal of achieving 100 per cent Made in India satellite components is a significant step towards technological independence."

"Placing the Vikram rover on the south pole of the Moon for the first time has permanently etched our country’s name in space history," said Basavvraaj B Ajrri. "No other country has achieved this feat, and all credit goes to Isro and its dedicated team members."

Chandrayaan-3 successfully executed a soft landing on the moon on August 23, 2023, making India the fourth nation in the world to achieve a successful lunar landing. India also marked a milestone by becoming the first country to land near the South Pole, an area believed to harbour significant amounts of water ice. Experts suggest that if this ice is accessible, it could potentially be mined for rocket fuel and life support in future crewed missions.

A number of private companies have contributed to Isro's Chandrayaan-3 mission. Tata Consulting Engineers Limited (TCE) recently revealed that the critical systems and sub-systems engineered by the firm played a pivotal role in the launch of India's third moon mission (Chandrayaan-3) by Isro. As the largest Indian private-sector engineering and project management consultancy, TCE created unique and indigenously built essential systems and sub-systems, tailor-made for space mission launches. The firm's engineering efforts include the solid propellant plant, vehicle assembly building, and mobile launch pedestal.

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has reportedly supplied various components for India's lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3. The company revealed that components such as the "middle segment and nozzle bucket flange" were manufactured at its facility in Powai, while the ground and flight umbilical plates were produced at its aerospace manufacturing facility in Coimbatore.

Ananth Technologies (ATL) contributed to the launch vehicle (LVM3), in the realisation of many of the avionics packages like on-board computers, navigation system, control electronics, telemetry, and power systems. Various interface packages, power switching modules, relay and balancing units, and others for the latest launch were also done by the firm. Many major satellite systems for the Chandrayaan-3 programme including telemetry, telecommand, power management systems, and DC-DC converters for the mission were realised by ATL.

Omnipresent Robotic Technologies Ltd designed the software used for processing images on the Pragyaan rover. Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) fabricated Vikram Processor (1601 PE01) for LVM3 launch vehicle navigation and CMOS Camera Configurator (SC1216-0) flown on board for Vikram lander imager camera.

(With inputs from PTI)