RANCHI/DHANBAD, Oct 24: The Indian Space Research Organsiation (ISRO) has much to rejoice after the successful launch of the Chandrayan-I lunar expedition from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. But, the celebration is not restricted to one part of the country. A group of people across the state of Jharkhand are also basking in the celebratory spirit of the success.
Among these people, are the engineers, scientists, mechanics and even labourers of the Ranchi-based Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) and the premier designing unit, Mecon.
HEC has constructed the mobile launching pad (MLP) for ISRO's dream lunar project, which weighed nearly 400 tons, and shipped it to Sriharikota from Ranchi. The engineering company also constructed the 10 ton-tower crane planted atop the cord of the Geostationary Space Launching Vehicle (GSLV). During the 1990s India developed the liquid-fueled Geostationary Space Launch Vehicle (GSLV), which used cryogenic fuel in its upper stage. The GSLV was first launched in 2001.
This particular crane was of great significance as all the crucial and final touches to the GSLV's tip, were done with the help of this crane.
Mecon was the unit, which played a significant role in the construction ofthe base of the second launching pad in Sriharikota for ISRO and the work was executed on a turn-key basis.
Mr Rana Chakraborty, a senior official of Mecon said, the unit was involved in designing, detailed engineering, entire civil and structural jobs, supply of equipment and system, erection of the MLP, testing and commissioning of the entire system including cryo-propellant and service facilities, gas storage and servicing faculties along with latest control systems.
"We were very happy to be a part of Chandrayan-I team and are ecstatic at the success of the launching of the GSLV," said Mr Chakraborty. But, for the scientists and researchers of Dhanbad-based Indian School of Mines University (ISMU), it does not stop here. There's more to be done.
ISMU will be involved in processing and analysing data sent by the satellite. The data analysis results will help find the details of the lunar terrain as well as mineral reserves on the surface of the moon.
Sources in ISMU said that cameras fitted with Hyper Spectral Imagery System (HSIS) will be sending 3-D images of the lunar surface and they will be used to analyse the geological and terrain structure of the moon's surface.
Dr VK Srivastava, head of the department of applied geo-physics at ISMU, also in-charge of the remote sensing laboratory at the institute, is all slated to the head the entire team of scientists and researchers. Terrain mapping in the institutes's advanced remote sensing laboratory will go a long way in locating geological structures like mountains, rocks and other minerals, if available, on the lunar surface.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=228261
