ISRO Begins Construction Of SSLV Launch Facility In Tamil Nadu To Tap Global Small Satellite Market

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has begun the construction of the SSLV Launch Complex (SLC) at Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu.

The construction began on Wednesday (5 March) with the ‘Ground breaking ceremony’ for the realisation of three major facilities.

The foundation stone for the complex was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 February 2024.

"Subsequently, the site development activities were carried out and the site is now ready for the commencement of the construction of the Upper Stage Assembly Facilities (UAF-I & UAF-II) for the preparation of the second and third stages of the 3-staged SSLV vehicle along with a Launch Service Building (LSB)," ISRO said in a statement on Friday (7 March).

According to the space agency, the launch complex planned at Kulasekarapattinam is primarily to address the polar launches of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) which is envisaged to capture the global launch service market for small satellites up to 500kg.

SSLV development has been completed and in the operational phase, the vehicle is envisaged for production by Indian industry.

The SSLV is capable of launching mini, micro or nano satellites (10 to 500kg mass) into 500 km planar orbit.

SSLV is a three-stage launch vehicle with all solid propulsion stages and liquid propulsion based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as terminal stage.

According to ISRO, the design drivers of SSLV are low cost, low turn-around time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, launch on demand feasibility, and minimal launch infrastructure requirements etc.

The Indian space agency is in the process of transferring the SSLV technology to the Indian private industry and the state-run NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

Also Read: Bengaluru Set To Get Major Infrastructure Upgrades As Karnataka Budget Focuses On Metro Expansion, Tunnel Corridors And Signal-Free Roads