The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated the Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility (ICMF) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru on Tuesday, September 27. HAL is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company, and one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world. The ICMF will help realise the cryogenic and semi-cryogenic engines required for the Indian space programme.
Cryogenic engines are rocket engines that use cryogenic fuels (fuels that require storage at extremely low temperatures) and oxidisers. Both the cryogenic fuel and oxidiser of a cryogenic rocket are liquefied and stored at very low temperatures.
The President said that the inauguration of the ICMF is indeed a historic moment, not only for HAL and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), but also for the whole country. This is because India will have a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture cryogenic and semi-cryogenic engines.
President Droupadi Murmu, who inaugurated the facility at HAL in the presence of several dignitaries, including the Chairman of ISRO, S Somanath, expressed her hope that the ICMF would contribute to building a stronger India by 2047, through the next 25 years of Amrit Kal. She added that the ICMF inauguration is one of the major initiatives toward Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), according to a statement released by ISRO.
The President also said that ISRO has been the "pride of the nation". She said that when ISRO started operations in the 1960s, India was still a young republic, facing challenges of severe poverty and illiteracy. But there was immense potential, she added.
The President further said that the rapid pace with which ISRO has grown, has caught the attention of even the most advanced and technologically developed countries, according to a statement released by the President's Secretariat. She lauded ISRO for its sincere efforts and dedication because of which India has emerged as the sixth country in the world to have cryogenic engine manufacturing capabilities.
Calling HAL the "force behind the forces", the President of India said that the company has contributed immensely to India's self-reliance in defence.
She further said that HAL and ISRO together contribute to strategic defence and development, and that both the organisations have played a major role in the development of various equipment and programmes which have reinforced the security and development of India.
How Will ICMF Be Beneficial To The Indian Space Programme?
The cost of building cryogenic and semi-cryogenic engines for the Indian space programme is estimated to be Rs 208 crores. With the help of the ICMF, engines for the Indian space programme can be manufactured and assembled under one roof. The engine manufacturing facility will harbour indigenous fabrication equipment, machinery, and surface treatment utilities.
C B Ananthakrishnan, Chairman and Managing Director, HAL, congratulated ISRO for becoming the sixth country in the world to master cryogenic technology.
Meanwhile, S Somanath recalled the long association between ISRO and HAL, since the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) days.
The President of India said that the glorious past of HAL and ISRO gives the country an assurance that these organisations will continue to play a significant and positive role in the future as India enters the Amrit Kal.
"By 2047, when we will celebrate the 100 years of Independence, the world around us will have changed drastically. Just as we were in no position 25 years ago to imagine the contemporary world, we cannot visualise today how Artificial Intelligence and automation are going to transform life. We have completed 75 years as an independent country. We are looking ahead at the next 25 years as the period to re-imagine India and make it a developed country. It is our joint responsibility to ensure that the India of 2047 will be a much more prosperous and strong nation," President Droupadi Murmu stated.