As Chandrayan -2 is moving towards the moon day by day, officials of MECON Limited in Ranchi cannot hide their pride for constructing the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Sriharikota.
MECON Limited was entrusted by ISRO for design, engineering, supply, erection and commissioning of second launch pad at Sriharikota, which has conducted several launches of various kinds of rockets and the latest launch in the range was Chandrayaan -2.
Chandrayan-2 is now a week away from its historic landing on the Moon. Talking to the Pioneer, one of the members of the team of MECON officials involved in the construction work, Joint General Manager, Civil and Architect Sharad Jaipuriar said that MECON undertook this challenging task and completed the project with full satisfaction of the ISRO authorities. “The second launch pad is an integration of many latest facilities and systems to cater to the needs of present and future Indian Space programmes for launching the space vehicles.
MECON takes pride in having conceptualized, engineered and executed the steel intensive Vehicle Assembly Building, Umblical Tower and Launch Pad which has provided the base of the majestic lift off of GSLVMkIII-M1,” said Jaipuriar.
Talking about his experience, the GM said that the Company had received the work after facing a stiff competition with best construction companies of the Country. “It was a big challenge before MECON as the project cost was around Rs 400 crore at the lowest price possible at that time, when the Company started the work in the year 1999.There could be no room for complacency in ISRO, where the owners and masters would not allow any laxity and were very stringent on every count,” he added. “Few Engineers were posted to site at Sriharicota initially on transfer from various locations of MECON. There was no proper residence for any one. ISRO did not have enough accommodation to be provided to all,” said Jaipuriyar.
Expressing his happiness over first rocket PSLV-C-6 launch the Joint GM said that in the wee hours of May 5, 2005 the scientists and engineers of India erupted in a frenzy joy as they watched on their television set, with rapt attention and intense anticipation the countdown to successful launch of India’s first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle of ISRO at Sriharikota,” said Jaipuriar. “Once again when the Chandrayan-2 India’s mission to Moon was launched, it was a moment of triumph for Indian and Engineers and Scientists whose decade of tireless mind-bogging efforts had helped India soft step into the mysterious world of space, to shake hands at par with few nations of the world as equal achievers,” said Jaipuriar.
Joint GM Tonmoy Mitra who was also part of the project shared his view along with Deputy GM Shashank Singh and mentioned how the project has brought pride to MECON and its officials.
