Chennai: India will have four operational launch pads by 2029, including the third one at Sriharikota and the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) launch complex at Kulasekarapattinam, Isro chairman V Narayanan said in the city on Saturday.He also defended the decision to involve private companies in operating the upcoming spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam, saying it would help strengthen the country’s space ecosystem and meet the growing requirement to launch more satellites.“We are bringing Indian start-ups and private companies into some operations, as there is a high demand to launch thousands of satellites. Isro will handhold them so that the country’s economy will get a boost, and it would help create more jobs for engineers,” Narayanan said.The SSLV launch complex is coming up on 2,000 acres of land at Kulasekarapattinam. It will include stage-preparation and vehicle-integration buildings, a launch pad, rail-track systems, range systems, checkout systems, telemetry and telecommand systems, safety and firefighting facilities, and civic amenities. The first rocket launch is expected next year.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Narayanan said Isro plans to conduct the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test within the next two months.“We plan to conduct three uncrewed tests before the Gaganyaan mission. The crew escape system, environmental control and safety systems, including maintenance of pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels inside the module, along with systems to reduce the rocket’s speed, will be tested. Only after the successful completion of all three tests will we undertake the Gaganyaan mission,” he said.He said Isro conducted about 8,000 ground-based experiments for the mission. The four astronaut-designates are also undergoing training.Narayanan said Isro was planning to bring back samples from the Moon in its next mission. “The Chandrayaan-4 module will weigh 9,600 kg, compared with the 3,900-kg module of Chandrayaan-3. We are planning to take the module aboard two rockets and dock them in space before landing on the Moon. The mission is scheduled for 2028,” Narayanan said.Chandrayaan-5, a collaborative mission with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will send a 350-kg rover to the Moon, where it will conduct experiments for 100 days, compared with the 14-day duration of experiments during the Chandrayaan-3 mission.As many as 455 students, including those from nursing, clinical research and occupational therapy, received their degrees on Saturday. The institute’s chancellor, V R Venkataachalam, and others attended the event.
