Nagpur: The rocket motor produced by Nagpur’s Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Group, was successfully tested by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This also marks the beginning of end-to-end production of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV) through a private sector industry, a report in local Times of India said.
ISRO in its tweet on Thursday said the first PSOM XL motor, which forms the PS0 stage of the PSLV-XL, has been tested and the performance is satisfactory.
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“ISRO had transferred the technology to EEL in 2019. With today’s test the industry’s capacity to produce the PS0 stage for PSLV has been established. This is the first step toward end-to-end production of PSLV through industry,” says the tweet.
According to the report, the PSOM Motor made by EEL is strap-on to the PSLVs and helps in attaining additional height or having more payload in a launch vehicle. Even as the PS0 is the main engine, the strap-on units are fixed for providing the additional push. As much as six such units can be strapped on to the PSLV, said a source involved in the project.
The product was developed by EEL following the transfer of technology. The company had delivered the first batch of these units in July. One of the units has been tested statically and the results were satisfactory, said the source and added, further units would be supplied in the due course. These units are critical in the launch vehicles as they are instrumental in achieving the desired height or payload, the report said.
Before this, ISRO had launched the country’s first rocket made by a private industry. This was developed by Solar Group and Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot. Named Vikram S, it is a sub-orbital rocket. Solar Group had provided the propellant for the rocket which is needed to take it upwards.
