Soon, Watch ISRO’s Rocket Launches In Person, Just 3 KM From Pad

Following the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has finally opened its doors to people wanting to see the launch of its rockets from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, an island in Andhra Pradesh, Times of India has reported.

According to the report, the spectators can witness the ISRO’s launches, starting from Monday’s (1 April) liftoff of PSLV-C45 carrying a Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) payload Emisat and 28 foreign satellites, at the space agency’s island, which is more than 100 km north of Chennai.

NASA too allows people in the US to watch its space activities, including rocket launches.

As per the report, built like a stadium, the viewing gallery can accommodate around 5,000 people. It faces the two launchpads and will provide a clear line of sight of the rockets and their launch.

"The new stadium set up on the island can accommodate 5,000 spectators. But as a precautionary measure, we will allow only 1,000 people for Monday's launch. As the launch is at 9.30 am, the entry at the stadium will only be till 8 am to avoid last-minute hassles. The gallery is located 2-3km from the launchpad and will give a clear view of PSLV and GSLV launches. If all goes smoothly, we will allow 5,000 people for the next launch. We will later make some changes at the stadium to accommodate 10,000,” ISRO chairman K Sivan was quoted in the report as saying.