ISRO to Have Four Functional Launch Pads by 2029, Says Chairman V. Narayanan

25 October 2026National

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said India will have four functional launch pads by 2029, speaking at a university convocation in Chennai on 24 October 2026. The roadmap includes a dedicated 2,000-acre Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, with integration buildings, rail-track systems and telemetry, tracking and command facilities. He ruled out privatising ISRO but stressed private partnerships and technology transfer. On Gaganyaan, the first uncrewed test is planned within two months after about 8,000 ground experiments, with four astronaut-designates in training. Chandrayaan-5, with Japan's JAXA, will carry a 350-kg rover for 100 days of lunar surface experiments.

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ISRO was established on 15 August 1969 and is headquartered in Bengaluru; Vikram Sarabhai was its first chairman | The Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, has two operational launch pads, with a third sanctioned by the Union Cabinet in January 2025 | The SSLV can place about 500 kg in a 500-km low Earth orbit and its technology has been transferred to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

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