Chennai, Oct 25: India is set to significantly expand its space-launch capabilities, with four functional launch pads targeted by 2029 and a greater role for private industry in commercial operations, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan has said.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at a private university in Chennai on Saturday, Narayanan outlined the agency’s roadmap, including plans for a dedicated 2,000-acre Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district.
The facility is intended to help meet growing global demand for satellite launches.
The upcoming spaceport will feature key infrastructure, including integration buildings, launch pads, rail-track systems and telemetry, tracking and command facilities.
Narayanan, however, did not elaborate on the plans for the other three launch pads envisaged under the expansion.
Turning to India’s human spaceflight programme, Narayanan said ISRO planned to conduct the first uncrewed test flight under the Gaganyaan mission within the next two months. Two more uncrewed tests are scheduled before the first crewed mission.
“These tests will evaluate environmental control, safety systems, crew escape mechanisms, and module interiors under varying pressure, temperature, and humidity conditions,” he said.
ISRO has conducted approximately 8,000 ground-based experiments for the mission, Narayanan said, adding that the four astronaut-designates selected for Gaganyaan are undergoing specialised training.
Looking ahead to India’s lunar exploration programme, the ISRO chief outlined plans for Chandrayaan-5, a collaborative mission with Japan’s space agency.
The mission will feature a 350-kg rover designed to conduct scientific experiments on the lunar surface over 100 days.
Narayanan also sought to clarify that ISRO would not be privatised, stressing that partnerships with private companies were essential to meeting rising domestic and global demand for satellite launches.
“To handle this expanding ecosystem, ISRO will handhold startups and private enterprises, transferring technological expertise to foster economic growth and generate thousands of high-tech jobs,” he said.
The agency’s strategy, he indicated, is to expand launch infrastructure while drawing on private-sector capabilities to support the growing commercial space industry.
PTI