961.66.90 hectares of land has been identified in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district to house India’s second rocket launch pad. Out of this, a land survey for 431.87.74 hectares of land has already completed the necessary land survey, Minister of Space Jitendra Singh told the Parliament on Monday.
He also said that this will increase India’s global space sector market shares as the services will find global customers. Preliminary notification has been issued of the land that has been surveyed and one launch pad has been proposed at that site. The survey work for the remaining area is under way and in the final stages.
The sector will be open for private players that will ensure the development of space-qualified subsystems and systems and will also enable the building of satellites and satellite launching vehicles and other space apparatus. Constructions and establishment of facilities that will provide for launching and other space related services by these private investors will also be allowed in this rocket port.
Currently in India, rockets by ISRO are launched from Sriharikota rocket por in Andhra Pradesh which has two launch pads that are under operations regularly. A second rocket launch port will save this port from added pressure.
The site of construction of the rocket launch ports have been identified in Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu by the State Government led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Other formalities will be under completion soon enough to enable constructions at the site.
