India's space ambition set to get a big boost with a new ISRO space port

The town of Kulasekarapattinam was picked by ISRO in December 2019 for building a much-needed second space port to realize India’s ambition of being the top player in space exploration and application.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will soon be getting its second space port in the country. Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district is set to be a point of interest for space enthusiasts and enterprises. The town was picked by ISRO in December 2019 for building a much-needed second space port to realize India’s ambition of being the top player in space exploration and application. By September 2020, a total of 2,300 acres of land had been identified by the Tamil Nadu government. Currently, 50% of the allotted land has been handed over to ISRO for the project. According to former ISRO chief K Sivan, the remaining land is likely to be handed over to the space agency in the next two months.

Following are the ways in which the new ISRO launch port in Kulasekarapattinam will benefit India’s space missions and boost space launch by Indian private enterprises:

  • No dogleg maneuver which translates to more payload capacity 
  • SSLVs to fly straight to south pole resulting in increased fuel efficiency
  • Easier to shift 2nd, 4th stages to second port vis-a-vis Sriharikota 
  • Earth’s rotation will help boost rocket launch
  • Will reduce costs significantly for ISRO

Additionally, the new space port will also add to the safety of civilians in case of failed launches as the debris, in case of a failed launch, will fall into the Indian Ocean.

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