Science TechnologySunday, 1 November 2026·The Hindu - Science
ISRO roadmap: four launch pads by 2029, 2,000-acre SSLV complex at Kulasekarapattinam
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said India will have four functional launch pads by 2029 and a 2,000-acre SSLV complex at Kulasekarapattinam.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In October 2026, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said India would expand to four functional launch pads by 2029, alongside a 2,000-acre Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Tuticorin district.
Key specifics
- The Kulasekarapattinam spaceport is planned as a 2,000-acre SSLV complex in Tuticorin district.
- ISRO said it will have four functional launch pads by 2029.
- The first uncrewed Gaganyaan test is planned within the next two months, followed by two more uncrewed tests before the crewed mission.
- About 8,000 ground-based experiments have already been conducted for Gaganyaan, according to Narayanan.
- Chandrayaan-5 was mentioned as a collaborative mission with Japan’s space agency, with a 350-kg rover for 100 days of surface experiments.
Exam lens
TNPSC science and technology question type: spaceport location, launch-pad count, Gaganyaan test sequence and Chandrayaan-5 details; remember Kulasekarapattinam, 2,000 acres, four launch pads by 2029, and 350-kg rover.