ISRO Chairman V Narayanan has said that India will expand its space operations significantly with four functional launch pads by the year 2029. Mr. Narayanan said, these include a 2000 acre dedicated Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu and a third launch pad at Sriharikota, to meet the global demand for satellite launches. He was addressing convocation of a private university at Porur near Chennai.
The ISRO chief said that the upcoming Kulasekarapattinam spaceport facility will feature crucial infrastructure such as integration buildings, launch pads, rail-track systems, telemetry, tracking, and command systems.
Mr. Narayanan stated that ISRO plans to conduct the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test within the next two months, followed by two subsequent uncrewed tests before the crewed mission. These preliminary tests will evaluate environmental control, safety systems, crew escape mechanisms, and module interiors under varying pressure, temperature, and humidity conditions. ISRO successfully conducted approximately 8 thousand ground-based experiments for the mission, and four astronaut-designates are currently undergoing specialised training.
Mr. Narayanan further revealed plans for Chandrayaan-5, a collaborative lunar mission with Japan’s space agency featuring a 350 kg rover designed to conduct 100 days of surface experiments. He also clarified that the national space agency will not be privatised. ISRO Chairman emphasised that partnering with private firms was essential to meet surging global and domestic demands for thousands of satellites.
