New Delhi: In a significant milestone, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was on Friday declared the winner of the bid for the transfer of technology of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), the ISRO’s rocket to place satellites up to 500 kg in low-earth orbit, edging out two consortia, including one led by a defence manufacturer backed by the Adani Group.
Fighter jet manufacturer HAL was the standalone bidder for the coveted contract to build the ISRO-designed rocket and was pitted against the two consortia — one led by Alpha Design Technologies, backed by the Adani Group, and the other led by Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Limited.
HAL presented the winning bid of Rs 511 crore to emerge as the sole manufacturer of the SSLV after the completion of the process of transfer of technology that is expected to take place over the next two years.
The announcement was made by Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre Chairman Pawan Goenka at a virtual press conference.
Bengaluru-based HAL, the standalone bidder, edged past two consortia helmed by Alpha Design Technologies, backed by Adani Defence Systems and Technologies, and state-backed Bharat Dynamics Limited.
Goenka said ISRO will handhold HAL for two years, during which the PSU will have to develop two rockets with the same design and suppliers.
“HAL will be free to improve on the design and select its vendors from the third rocket,” Goenka said.
HAL Director Finance B Senapati said it was a matter of pride for HAL to have won the bid to manufacture SSLV.
The SSLV is developed to launch small satellites into low Earth orbit at a shorter notice, a capability required by the defence forces in times of emergencies.
The SSLV is capable of launching satellites weighing 10 kg to 500 kg into a 500 km circular orbit.
SSLV is a three-stage launch vehicle with all solid propulsion stages and a liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as the terminal stage.
The design drivers of SSLV are low cost, low turnaround time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, launch-on-demand feasibility, and minimal launch infrastructure requirements.
