Arrangements are being made for the smooth transportation of a massive settling chamber for the trisonic wind tunnel being constructed at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thumba here from the Kollam port.
The settling chamber for the wind tunnel was brought in two sections of 128 tonnes and 57 tonnes to Kollam from Mumbai. They will be moved to Thumba over seven days by road — at the rate of 10 km a day — on a hydraulic-axle trailer.
Coordinated efforts
The Kerala State Electricity Board and the Departments of Forests, Police and Public Works have been directed to ensure the smooth transportation as low-hanging overhead cables and tree branches could hinder the trailer’s progress.
The 128-tonne section is 9.8-m long, 5.6-m broad and 5.7-m high. The 57-tonne section is 5.1-m broad, 5.9- m long and 6.05-m high. When loaded on the trailer, the height of the cargo will be over 7 m.