India Sets Sights on Space Expansion with Third Launch Pad

India plans to establish a third launch pad at Sriharikota to enhance its space capabilities. This move is pivotal for India's ambitions of a space station, human spaceflight, and lunar missions. The launch pad, costing Rs 3,985 crore, will enable heavier payloads and support India's evolving space transportation needs.

The Indian government has greenlit the construction of a third launch pad at Sriharikota to propel its space program to new heights. This strategic move aims at strengthening India's position in the global space race by facilitating the launch of heavier spacecraft, a critical step towards the country's ambition of establishing a space station and executing human spaceflights.

Scheduled to be operational in four years, the new launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre will boast the capacity to launch spacecraft weighing up to 30,000 tonnes into low Earth orbit, a significant upgrade from the current 8,000 tonnes capability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet approved the Rs 3,985 crore project, emphasizing maximum industry involvement.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is concurrently developing a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), which will be 91 meters tall, surpassing the iconic Qutub Minar. The launch pad will feature a universal configuration, accommodating NGLV as well as LVM3 vehicles with a semicryogenic stage.

(With inputs from agencies.)