Why Thoothukudi was Chosen as ISRO's Second Spaceport?

There is a proposal to set up a rocket launching pad near Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh told the Rajya Sabha on November 28.

ISRO's second spaceport in Thoothukudi will be around 2,300 acres in size, smaller than the already existing one in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, which is 145 square kilometers in area and 27 kilometers in coastal length.

Speaking to IANS, Thoothukudi District Collector Sandeep Nanduri said “The process for acquiring land for the rocket launching pad has begun. The land requirement will be about 2,300 acres. The project activity is expected to begin in six months.”

K Sivan, the ISRO Chairman, told that the Thoothukudi spaceport will be used to launch newly developed Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), once it is ready.

But why did the space agency choose Thoothukudi for establishing its second spaceport?

Unlike Sriharikota, Thoothukudi's proximity to the seashore makes it ideal for "straight southward" launches. Rockets that have a straight trajectory from Thoothukudi will also be able to carry heavier payloads.

However, a spaceport in Thoothukudi will be ideal for putting satellites in the polar orbit - normally undertaken through a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV rocket - but not for satellites with geostationary orbits launched by GSLV rockets.

Another reason for choosing Thoothukudi is due to its nearness to the equater. “A rocket launch site should be on the east coast and near the equator. And Thoothukudi district satisfies that condition,” a former ISRO official told IANS.