ISRO Breaks Ground On Kulasekarapattinam Launch Site

India broke ground on 5th March on the construction of a second launch centre at Kulasekarapattinam in the coastal state of Tamil Nadu. There is currently one rocket port with two launch pads at Sriharikota in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Construction of a third launch pad at Sriharikota has also been sanctioned by the Indian government.

The second rocket port will not only enable the national space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to fly its small rocket, called Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), with its carrying capacity of 500 kg but also the rockets made by two private players – Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos. The new rocket port Kulasekarapattinam in Tuticorin district in Tamil Nadu will cover about 2,300 acres and is expected to be ready by the end of 2026.

Need For A New Spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam

As of today, India has two launch pads. The first one is about 30 years old and used for flying PSLV and SSLV rockets. The second launch pad is about 20 years old and used for launching PSLV, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and LVM3 rockets. The second pad is also being prepared to launch the human rated LVM3 for the Gaganyaan (human space) missions.

The expanded vision of the Indian Space Programme includes a space station- Bharatiya Antriksh Station (BAS) by 2035 and an Indian Crewed Lunar Landing by 2040. These need a new generation of heavier launch vehicles with new propulsion systems, which cannot be met by the existing launch pads.

According to ISRO officials, the location for the rocket port is good for rockets flying southwards as it is on the east coast and near the equator. It will also be advantageous to put a satellite in the polar orbit now being done by the Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Further the fuel cost will also come down if rockets are launched from Kulasekarapattinam as they will have a straight trajectory and need not have to avoid the island nation Sri Lanka, as is being done by the rockets flown from Sriharikota. With the lower fuel volume, payload capacity can increase.

On 28^th February 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the second rocket port. On that day, ISRO sent up its Rohini Sounding Rocket RH200 from the newly established launch complex.

The maiden launch from the new spaceport marked a significant milestone, with the RH200 rocket reaching a peak altitude of 75 km, precisely tracked by two on-site radars.

Third Launch Pad At Srihairkota

New space port aside, India is also beefing up its rocket launch facilities at its existing space port in Sriharikota with a decision to build a third launch pad.

According to the Indian government, the third launch pad and the infrastructure will be for ISRO’s heavier new rocket called Sooriya and also be a standby launch pad for the Second Launch Pad at Sriharikota. The new facility will also enhance the launch capacity for future Indian human spaceflight missions.

The third launch pad is designed to have configuration that is as universal and adaptable as possible that can support not only the next generation launch vehicle (NGLV) but also the existing LVM3 rocket with Semicryogenic stage as well as scaled up configurations of NGLV.

The proposed facility is expected to be ready in four years time.

As on today, India has two launch pads. The first one is about 30 years old and used for flying PSLV and SSLV rockets. The second launch pad is about 20 years old and used for launching PSLV, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and LVM3 rockets. The second pad is also being prepared to launch the human rated LVM3 for the Gaganyaan (human space) missions.

The expanded vision of the Indian Space Programme includes a space station- Bharatiya Antriksh Station (BAS) by 2035 and an Indian Crewed Lunar Landing by 2040. These need a new generation of heavier launch vehicles with new propulsion systems, which cannot be met by the existing launch pads.