Thiruvananthapuram  :

As ISRO successfully test-fired GSLV Mark III, two firms in the city are on cloud nine. Medium scale engineering firms based in Thiruvananthapuram — Kortas Industries and Intimate Machines Private Ltd — have been closely involved in the development and production of many of the key components of GSLV-Mark III. Thursday’s launch was an experimental suborbital flight of 630-tonne GSLC Mark III to validate its ability to carry heavier communication satellites and crew modules for future manned missions.

Kortas Industries at Kochuveli has supplied around 12 components for the mission. Intimate Machines Private Ltd, a small and medium enterprise in Manvila, has supplied a model of GSLV Mark III to ISRO in March last. The miniature model was precisely made for conducting wind tunnel test, a crucial prelaunch operation.

“One of the major components supplied by Kortas is flex seal assembly of the gigantic 200 tonne booster motor for its flex nozzle. This is the most critical item for controlling the mission trajectory,” said M Shahabudeen, MD of Kortas.

Kortas also supplied multi-layer thermal boots for two S200 boosters and L-110 engine, nozzle closure assembly with thermal protection cover for L-110 liquid engine, separation system hardware for S200 boosters, nose cone and AFT shroud assemblies of flexi nozzle control tanks, etc. “In case if the GSLV deviate from its trajectory, it has to be destructed before falling at inhabited locations. We have supplied destruction charge sheaths for S200 boosters which will destroy the vehicle on air,” he said. It has also supplied various other auxiliary and pyro systems of the vehicle.

Kortas Industries has been engaged in technology development and manufacturing of aerospace systems, mechanical systems and precision components for the last 14 years. It has earlier supplied critical systems and components for all satellite launch vehicles of ISRO such as Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV), Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions.

Intimate Machines’ MD K C Sanjeev said that the successful launch of GSLV Mark III was a proud moment for them. The company has been associating with ISRO since 2006. After the Mars Orbiter Mission, ISRO had congratulated Intimate Machines for their role in the mission.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / by Jisha Surya, TNN / December 19th, 2014