Overview

• ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan led a Bhoomi Puja at Kulasekarapattinam on August 27, marking the start of pre-construction for the new launchpad.
• The agency announced a goal to complete construction by December 2026, with a first launch planned in the fourth quarter of next year.
• The complex spans about 2,300 acres in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district, roughly 650 km south of the Sriharikota spaceport.
• Operations will focus on the SSLV and sub-500 kg rockets from Indian startups, with an estimated cadence of 20–25 launches per year.
• ISRO had earlier cleared the site for building Upper Stage Assembly Facilities and a Launch Service Building, positioning the spaceport to complement heavier missions flown from Sriharikota.