• The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved setting up of a third launch pad at Sriharikota to send heavier spacecraft in orbit as it aims to build a space station, carry out human spaceflight Gaganyaan and land an astronaut on the Moon.

• The third launch pad will be built at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota and will be capable of putting 30,000 tonne spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit as against the existing capabilities of 8,000 tonnes as India eyes a larger pie in the global space economy.

• The third launch pad will be set up at a cost of Rs 3,985 crore in the next four years with maximum participation from the industry.

The spaceport of India 

• Satish Dhawan Space Centre-Sriharikota Range (SDSC-SHAR) with two launch pads is the spaceport of India.

• It had a humble beginning in 1971 with the launch of Rohini-125 small sounding rocket and the centre has come a long way ever since.

• The space centre, which was known as SHAR (Sriharikota Range) was renamed as Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR on September 5, 2002, in fond memory of Satish Dhawan, former chairman of ISRO.

• SDSC-SHAR is the backbone of ISRO in providing launch base infrastructure for the Indian space programme.

• It is situated on the eastern coast of the country. 

• SDSC-SHAR is located just above the equator on the northern latitude bounded by the vast Indian coastline, making it one of the most ideal launch sites in the world. 

• The centre has the facilities for solid propellant processing, static testing of solid motors, launch vehicle integration and launch operations, range operations comprising telemetry, tracking and command network and mission control centre. 

• The centre has two launch complexes — First Launch Pad (FLP) and the Second Launch Pad (SLP). 

• The First Launch Pad (FLP) was built in the early 1990s following the concept of ‘Integrate on the Pad’, wherein, after assembling the rocket, a 3,200 tonne Mobile Service Tower (MST) moves backward to its parking place. The first launch from FLP was on September 20, 1993.

• The Second Launch Pad (SLP) was conceived and implemented as a facility upgradation to support for the increasing launch demands that ISRO was facing. The SLP follows the ‘Integrate, Transfer and Launch’ (ITL) concept, wherein, the vehicle after getting assembled on a Mobile Launch Pedestal in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is moved to the launch pad in a vertical position, on a rail track. he first launch from SLP was on May 5, 2005.

What is the need for a third launch pad?

• Currently, Indian Space Transportation Systems are completely reliant on the first and second launch pads. 

• The First Launch Pad was built 30 years ago for PSLV missions and continues to provide launch support also for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). 

• The Second Launch Pad was established primarily for GSLV and LVM3 and also functions as standby for PSLV. 

• The Second Launch Pad has been operational for almost 20 years and has enhanced the launch capacity towards enabling some commercial missions of PSLV/LVM3 along with the national missions including the Chandrayaan-3 mission. 

• The Second Launch Pad is also getting ready to launch the human rated LVM3 for the Gaganyaan missions.

• The expanded vision of the Indian Space Programme, the government has announced plans to establish the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035 and achieve an Indian crewed lunar Landing by 2040.

• These ambitions require a new generation of heavier launch vehicles with new propulsion systems, which cannot be met by the existing launch pads. 

• The expeditious establishment of a third launch pad to cater to a heavier class of Next Generation Launch Vehicles and as a stand by Second Launch Pad is highly essential so as to meet the evolving space transportation requirements for another 25-30 years. 

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) which will be 91 m in height. 

• The launch pad is designed to have a configuration that is as universal and adaptable as possible that can support not only NGLV but also the LVM3 vehicles with a semi-cryogenic stage.

• It will also be able to support scaled up configurations of NGLV with capabilities of hauling 70 tonnes payload to low earth orbit. 

• The launch pad will be built with maximum industry participation fully utilising ISRO’s experience in establishing the previous launch pads and maximally sharing the existing launch complex facilities.

• The project will boost the Indian space ecosystem by enabling higher launch frequencies and the national capacity to undertake human spaceflight and space exploration missions.

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