Kineco Kaman earns ISRO contract for India’s first human space flight mission
Three conical CFRP crew orbiter module adaptor (OMA) assemblies to be supplied for GSLV Mk-III by December 2023.
OMA assembly illustration. Photo Credit: Kineco Kaman Composites India Private Ltd.
In early June, Kineco Kaman Composites India Private Ltd. (Kineco Kaman, Goa, India) announced that it has bagged a prestigious contract from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram, India), a division of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the supply of composites-intensive crew orbiter module adaptor assembly (OMA) for what is said to be India’s first human space flight mission, Gaganyaan.
Kineco Kaman’s expertise in the manufacture and supply of high-quality precision composite parts for space was demonstrated recently in March when it became India’s first private company to successfully supply composite equipment bay shroud (EBS) assembly to the VSSC for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-III.
On the back of this track record and its consistent performance on several other space and aerospace programs, Kineco Kaman qualified as a partner of choice for this new project. Per the contract, Kineco Kaman will supply three OMA assemblies to ISRO/VSSC by December 2023.
OMA is a 4-meter-diameter, conical carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) sandwich structure which is integrated with machined metallic rings to tight tolerances. It is said to be a critical assembly of the GSLV Mk-III that acts as an adaptor assembled between the Crew Escape module and Equipment Bay shroud.
“Kineco Kaman continues to excel and meet our customer’s needs for high-quality precision components,” Jason Kosmas, Kaman Vermont, says. “The partnership that has grown with ISRO-VSSC shows the commitment the team has taken to supporting such a critical program in the Indian space segment.”
Related Content
-
Materials & Processes: Resin matrices for composites
The matrix binds the fiber reinforcement, gives the composite component its shape and determines its surface quality. A composite matrix may be a polymer, ceramic, metal or carbon. Here’s a guide to selection.
-
The making of carbon fiber
A look at the process by which precursor becomes carbon fiber through a careful (and mostly proprietary) manipulation of temperature and tension.
-
PEEK vs. PEKK vs. PAEK and continuous compression molding
Suppliers of thermoplastics and carbon fiber chime in regarding PEEK vs. PEKK, and now PAEK, as well as in-situ consolidation — the supply chain for thermoplastic tape composites continues to evolve.
