Third launch pad to give Isro a big boost

New Delhi, July 1: Indian Space Research Organisation will be building a third launch pad at Sriharikota to accommodate its plan for 60 missions over the next five years.

Talking about the third launch pad, Isro chairman K. Radhakrishnan said that it would help the organisation increase the frequency of missions, which was necessary to meet its ambitious targets.

“We plan to launch 24 missions over the next 24 months, which include our communication satellites and some foreign payloads,” he said, adding that over a five-year period, the space agency had plans to launch 60 missions.

The new pad could also be used for launching the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III), India’s own version of a space shuttle, carrying heavier satellites.

The project would include construction of a new vehicle assembly building, mobile pedestals, umbilical towers, emergency exits, ground escape system, crew ingress and egress systems, safety bunkers, material handling equipment and related electrical systems.

The new missions are necessary as there have been demands in the international market for Isro’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle to launch foreign satellites.

Besides communications satellites, Isro also has plans to launch Chandrayaan-II, the sequel to its successful moon mission, a satellite to study the Sun, a probe to Mars and a human spaceflight.

Nellore: Scientists at Satish Dhawan Space Centre said that the design work is in progress for the third launch pad although its location is not finalised yet. There are also plans to make the launch pad flexible for different launch vehicles, they added. “The third launch pad was planned for manned mission to the moon initially. Since other infrastructure is already available, Shar is naturally a preferred location. Survey is going on to identify suitable location which should be advantageous in all respects,” a senior official at Shar said.