With the raising of India’s second spaceport in about two years, India will join a select league of nations that have more than one such satellite launch site. The foundation stone of this second spaceport, situated in Tamil Nadu’s Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district, was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 28. The new spaceport is a significant milestone for the Indian Space Research Organsation (ISRO) and will greatly enhance India’s standing in the comity of space-faring nations, not only propelling India as a commercial space giant but also boosting India’s space prowess.
The ambitious second space port project signifies a new era of space exploration in India. This is indicative of India’s ambition to solidify its position as a global space science and technology leader and is a testament to India’s prowess in space research.
With the commissioning of a second spaceport, ISRO will be able to increase the frequency of launches in the 500 kms planar orbit. The second space port aims to achieve a capability of launching 24 satellites annually. Identifying the key features of the second space port, the ISRO said this will make the satellite launches cheaper, will have low turnaround time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, launch-on-demand feasibility, and minimal launch infrastructure requirements. The second space port also offers many strategic advantages, including its proximity to the equator and the nearby propulsion complex of ISRO that will greatly reduce the time and expenses of rocket launches.
Though China is far ahead of India having four such launch sites, while the USA has 11 spaceports, India’s emergence as a space power with two launch sites will no less be remarkable and competitive.
Strategically Located, Will Enable More Fuel-Efficient Launches Of Satellites
ISRO is already having two launch pads of its own in Sriharikota, besides a recently dedicated launchpad by a private company. The commissioning of the second spaceport will vastly expand India’s space launch capabilities, especially for smaller satellites of around 500-700 kg weight. This new facility will significantly enhance India’s share in world satellite launch market, which is expanding very fast. It is expected that the new launch facility will enable India to become a hub of both Indian and international private players in the space domain.
Since many smaller countries and private space tech-players are now entering space arena, they would need cost-competitive satellite launch service providers who also can provide secure and reliable environment. According to space sector observers, security concerns will dissuade smaller countries and private players from availing the Chinese facility. India thus should attract countries and companies for launching their satellites.
The strategic selection of location for the second spaceport leverages the rotational direction of Earth, which will enable more fuel-efficient launches of the satellites. According to satellite launch specialists, Sriharikota is a very suitable launch site for heavier satellites and equatorial orbits but not for launching of small satellites in polar or southern trajectories. The second spaceport will fulfil this requirement by providing a dedicated centre for launching Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV). Besides saving fuel, this will enhance efficiency for smaller satellite launches. The second spaceport will thus enable ISRO to expand its capabilities and facilitate accomplishing diverse mission tasks.
The second space port in Tamil Nadu is strategically located 700 km away from the present launch facility in Sriharikota. Established in the late seventies, Sriharikota has been the main torchbearer of India’s space missions. Sriharikota’s proximity to the equator provides it a natural advantage. Since the Earth’s rotation is fastest at the equator, satellite launch vehicles get an additional boost. The rotational velocity allows for a reduction in fuel requirements, which makes it suitable for mission targeting equatorial orbits that are normally used for communication and weather satellites. Also, launching satellite launch vehicles over water reduces risks to populated areas in case of malfunction or accidents.
Boost For India’s Space Economy
This ambitious spaceport project aims to boost the growth of space sector and open up new horizons for space exploration and technology.
As India eyes a bigger share in the satellite launch market, the second spaceport will definitely help ISRO enhance the share. According to the Indian Space Association, and Ernst and Young, India’s share in the launch services was pegged at $600 million in 2020 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth of 13 percent to reach $1 billion by 2025. In a written reply in Parliament, Minister of State Jitendra Singh had said to give a boost to Indian space economy, the government has opened up the space sector for private participation. The government has also set up Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre ( INSPACe) that will promote, handhold and authorise private sector activities in the sector, besides enabling sharing of technical facilities and expertise from ISRO. Since India has also privatised space launches, the country is expected to get a five-fold increase in its share of the global launch market, which is expected to be $48 billion by 2032. India currently accounts for a meagre 2 percent of the space economy.
With the emergence of global broadband communication needs, India envisages launches of several of these foreign satellites on board ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), and Geo Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-3 rockets. With this aim, India has especially developed the SSLV, which can be better utilised at the second spaceport. The SSLV is India’s newest launch vehicle to put smaller satellites in Low Earth Orbit. The New Space India Ltd (NSIL) under the Department of Space has already launched 45 international customer satellites and is getting more and more launch service contracts.
According to Jitendra Singh’s reply in Parliament, NSIL is ensuring better footprint of ISRO’s expertise in building Earth observation and communication satellites, providing launch and mission support services including establishment of ground segments for foreign customers to ensure enhanced foreign exchange revenue for the country.
With the upcoming second spaceport, India’s decision to privatise space launches will help bring more launch contracts to ISRO. The liberalised policy is expected to attract leading space companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, and hopes to achieve the target of a five-fold increase in its share of the global satellite launch market.
The author is a senior journalist and strategic affairs analyst.
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