ISRO will establish India's second spaceport at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu

In a major development, ISRO chief K. Sivan said on Wednesday said that India's second spaceport for launching small satellites would be located in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district. Thoothukudi is about 600 km southeast of Chennai. It is also reported that the space agency will outsource the making of the small satellites to the private industry.

"The Tamil Nadu government has begun acquiring about 2,300 acres of land in Thoothukudi district for our second satellite launch port, ideally located for launching smaller satellites in the earth's lower orbit," the Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman told reporters."The new location is ideal for launching smaller satellites of less than 500kg in the sun-synchronous orbit," said Sivan.

The country's first spaceport is at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km northeast of Chennai. The space agency will outsource the making of the small satellites to the private industry.

"The smaller satellites will be initially launched from Sriharikota and subsequently to the second launch port when ready with all the facilities," said Sivan.

Adding further about the expansion of ISRO, Chairman Sivan stated that ISRO under its expansion drive has set up 6 incubation centres that were not there earlier. ISRO also announced that it will be launching 5 PSLVs in the coming year.

READ: What is RISAT-2BR1, the 628 kg imaging satellite ISRO has launched into orbit with PSLV?

READ: ISRO to launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2020

ISRO to launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2020

India will launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2020, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday, asserting that the mission cost will be less than Chandrayaan-2. Singh, who is the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, said it is wrong to term Chandrayaan-2 as a disappointment since it was India's maiden attempt to land on the lunar surface and no country could do so in its first attempt.

"Yes, the lander and rover mission will mostly likely happen in 2020. However, as I have said before, the Chandrayaan-2 mission cannot be called a failure as we have learnt a lot from it. There is no country in the world that has landed on its first attempt. The US took several attempts. But we will not need so many attempts," Singh said.

READ: Gaganyaan astronauts, second spaceport, Chandrayaan-3: Why ISRO says 2020 will be eventful

READ: Kerala students block movement of ISRO bus amid anti-CAA protests