Isro to set up third launch pad at Sriharikota space centre

The new facility will attract investment of around Rs 500 crore

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will set up a new launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions, Jitendra Singh, in a reply to an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha said the new launch pad, which will be third at the location, was intended to support the increased launch frequency, the launching requirements of advanced launch vehicles, besides serving as a redundant launch pad for the GSLV Mk III class of vehicles.

“Detailed studies on possible concepts /options and preliminary configuration have been carried out,” he said. While the Minister did not mention the project cost, Isro officials estimate the new project would cost around Rs 500 crore.

The minister said work on the launch pad’s design would be taken up at an appropriate time after finalising the configuration of the advanced launch vehicle, operationalisation of GSLV Mk III, programmatic requirements and resource availability.

The assembling facility and the launch pad will come up in a three sqkm area, which is bigger than the existing two launch pads.

The new complex will provide complete support for the vehicle assembly, fueling, checkout and launch operations. Besides, it will have facilities for launching rockets meant for studying the earth’s atmosphere.

It will be equipped with new mobile pedestals, umbilical towers, emergency exits, ground escape system, crew ingress and egress systems, among others, said Isro.