ISRO's launch capacity will get boost with new vehicle assembly facility

The second assembly facility will allow ISRO to optimally utilise both the launch pads, reducing the launch timings.

Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) launch capacity will get a major boost with Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota set to get a second vehicle assembly building by the end of this year.

India's only rocket launch centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh consists of two launch pads, but just one vehicle assembly building for assembling final components of a rocket.

ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar told TOI that the single facility to assemble rockets had become a 'bottleneck'.

"Therefore, the second vehicle assembly building is being constructed. The work on the building is nearly complete and by the end of this year, it will become operational," he added.

The second launch pad, which is a universal launch pad, was built in 2005. The two launch pads allowed multiple launches in a single year, which was not possible earlier.

The second assembly facility will allow ISRO to optimally utilise both the launch pads, reducing the launch timings.

Kumar said that once ISRO optimally utilised both launch pads by assembling more rockets and reduce launch timings, it will consider starting work on the third launchpad.

"But for that, we first need (government's) approval. So, we are gradually working to eliminate all bottlenecks to increase the frequency of launches," TOI quoted ISRO chairman as saying.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 40th flight, launched the 712 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation and 30 co-passenger satellites together weighing about 243 kg at lift-off into a 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) on June 23.

On February 15, ISRO had set a record by launching 104 satellites in one go, then on June 5, it launched India's heaviest rocket GSLV Mk-III.

OneIndia News