India plans to expand its space launch capabilities to four functional launch pads by 2029 to meet growing domestic and global demand for satellite launches, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan has said.
Addressing the convocation of a private university at Porur near Chennai, Narayanan said the expansion would include a dedicated 2,000-acre Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district and a third launch pad at Sriharikota.
The upcoming Kulasekarapattinam spaceport will feature integration buildings, launch pads, rail-track systems, and telemetry, tracking and command infrastructure. The facility is expected to strengthen India’s capacity to handle satellite launches and support the country’s growing role in the global space sector.
Narayanan also said ISRO plans to conduct the first uncrewed test flight under the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme within the next two months, followed by two more uncrewed tests before the crewed mission. These tests will assess environmental control systems, safety mechanisms, crew escape systems and the crew module under different pressure, temperature and humidity conditions.
ISRO has conducted around 8,000 ground-based experiments for the Gaganyaan programme, while the four astronaut-designates are undergoing specialised training, he said.
The ISRO Chairman also outlined plans for Chandrayaan-5, a joint lunar mission with Japan’s space agency. The mission will feature a 350 kg rover designed to conduct scientific experiments on the lunar surface over a period of 100 days.
Narayanan clarified that ISRO would not be privatised, while emphasising the importance of partnerships with private companies to meet rising domestic and global demand for thousands of satellites. Greater private-sector participation is expected to support the expansion of India’s space industry and its launch capabilities.
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