New Delhi: In a written response to a question posed in the Rajya Sabha, the Indian State Minister for Space, Jitendra Singh provided a status update on the progress in the construction of the Kulasekharapatnam spaceport. The construction of the technical facilities and launch pad are in progress, with commissioning targeted for 2026-2027 financial year. The location of the spaceport is suitable for launching satellites to Sun Synchronous Polar Orbits. The light from the Sun is at a consistent angle in such orbits, which is suitable for Earth observation satellites. The site is being built specifically for small launchers, including the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) that ISRO has outsourced to private industry partners. The spaceport can support up to 25 SSLV launches annually.
In his written response, Singh noted, “The government’s approach to leverage the Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport is rooted in the Indian Space Policy 2023, which aims to transform India into a global launch services hub. By dedicating this new site exclusively to the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and equivalent launch vehicles from Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs), the government significantly enhances global competitiveness by maximizing the launch frequency of SSLV. NGEs can potentially have access to space from this spaceport, thereby boosting innovation and the private space ecosystem. The higher launch frequency can potentially result in manufacturing clusters in the region and also within the launch complex for supporting launch operations thereby creating employment opportunities.”
Burgeoning demand to launch small satellites
India is building its second spaceport specifically to cater to the increasing demand for small launchers to launch small satellites. Agnikul Cosmos is planning to build the Agnikul Launch Pad 2 at the Kulasekharapatnam spaceport, and already owns the first private launchpad at the Sriharikota spaceport. Both of these launch pads are expected to be made available to other private launch vehicle manufacturers. Agnikul is also building a rocket manufacturing facility close to the Kulasekharapatnam spaceport. A number of New Space startups across the country are developing small launchers specifically to cater to this demand, including Ahmedabad-based Omspace, Pune-based Astrophel, Hyderbad-based Abyom and Skyroot, and Bengaluru-based EtherealX.