HEC : Space sojourn

Ranchi, Nov. 28: Heavy Engineering Corporation Limited (HEC), Ranchi, today officially announced its willingness to be a part of the country’s manned moon mission — Chandrayaan-II — slated sometime between 2011 and 2012.

The corporation’s claim comes in the wake of the successful launch of the country’s first unmanned moon mission — Chandrayaan-I — last month from a mobile launch pedestal, weighing around 810 tonnes and a tower crane placed atop the umbilical cord, both manufactured by HEC.

The corporation received nationwide accolades for t he feat. At a meeting with Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) deputy director K. Subhash Reddy, the HEC officials said the corporation was able to design engineering and manufacture vital equipment and spares to be used for the manned moon mission.

Reddy today went around the foundry and forge plant at HEC and was visibly awed by the corporation's capabilities.

This was the first time that an Isro deputy director visited HEC.

Sources told The Telegraph that with the Centre giving a nod for the manned moon mission, including a Geo-stationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, Isro was looking for a unit that could manufacture vital equipment and machinery needed for its project.

A confident HEC senior deputy general manager D. N. Tripathi said: “We have successfully demonstrated HEC’s capabilities to manufacture and supply mobile launch pedestal, tower crane and other equipment used for the launch of Chandrayaan-I.

In the wake of the successful launch of the country’s maiden moon vehicle, HEC had formally requested Isro to consider it on a par with other manufacturers for the organisation’s requirements.

HEC has so far supplied two mobile launch pedestals to Isro that are capable of launching space launch vehicles. The corporation has successfully demonstrated its capabilities of supplying both the two launch pedestals well ahead of deadlines.