Public sector undertaking Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI) has dispatched the first consignment of ultra high strength steel and cobalt alloy for Gaganyaan, the ambitious manned mission Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning a couple of years from now.
While the ultra high strength steel is for ignitor box, the cobalt alloy will be used for throat-sitting rings. In addition to these materials, MIDHANI will also supply titanium alloy materials for Gaganyaan’s GSLV-Mark-III rocket liquid engine thrusters, nozzle, gas bottles, cryogenic upper stage components.
A flag-off programme for the ultra high strength steel and cobalt alloy consignment was conducted at MIDHANI on Monday in which its Director (Production and Marketing) Sanjay Kumar Jha and Director (Human Space Flight Centre), ISRO S. Unnikrishnan Nair participated.
A release said MIDHANI is the only manufacturer of titanium alloys and major supplier of super alloys in the country. It has indigenously developed and supplied various special metals and alloys required for ISRO space programmes, from the latter’s first mission and continued to support all the missions, a release said.
MIDHANI and ISRO have been working together over four decades now and developed critical input materials used in cryogenic engine, rocket motor casing, propellant tanks. Investment castings of vacuum melted quality of nickel alloys, stainless steel for exhaust unit and hafnium-niobium metal were also developed by MIDHANI. These materials will also be used in the Gaganyaan mission.
According to the release, MIDHANI is in the process of establishing manufacturing facilities for carbon-fibre and 3D metal powder. An aluminium alloy plant in joint venture with NALCO at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, is being set up under ‘Make in India’ initiative – as a JV company Utkarsha Aluminium Dhatu Nigam Ltd. It will manufacture high end aluminium alloy product such as sheets, plates, extrusions and forgings for strategic and commercial sectors.
