India's rocket production capacity will increase three times

ISRO Chief S. Somanath inaugurated new Propellant Tank Production and CNC Machining facilities at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) Aerospace Division. These state-of-the-art facilities will significantly boost ISRO's production capacity, particularly for the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), India's most powerful rocket.

Currently, ISRO can only conduct two LVM3 launches annually. With the new HAL facilities, this capacity could increase to six launches per year. Somanath emphasized the crucial role HAL will play in future ISRO missions, urging the company to focus on emerging technologies and design challenges to support end-to-end tasks.

The new production facility will manufacture high-performance fuel and oxidizer tanks, essential components for the LVM3. This heavy-lift launch vehicle, also known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III), is capable of carrying

up to 8 metric tons to low Earth orbit and 4 metric tons to geosynchronous transfer orbit. The inauguration of these facilities marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between ISRO and HAL, enhancing India's space capabilities and advancing future missions.