Kortas Industries Pvt Ltd (KIPL), an aerospace manufacturing firm at Veli here, has handed over the first set of crew module components for the Gaganyaan mission to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Kortas Industries director M. Shahabudeen handed over the parts to S Somanath, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), at a function held at the factory.

The Gaganyaan mission of ISRO aims to send a three-member crew to space and safely return them to earth. Senior officials of VSSC and KIPL were present at Monday’s function. KIPL had been manufacturing and supplying mechanical hardware and sub-assemblies for the ISRO for the past 20 years, the company said in a statement.

KIPL became a subsidiary of Alpha Design Technologies, Bangalore, last year as part of an expansion programme and to contribute major rocket hardware systems for PSLV, SSLV, and the GSLV MK-III programmes of the ISRO.

KIPL director Babu Tom Joseph was also present at the function on Monday.