Thumba equatorial launch centre

ISRO to launch PSLV-C48 with spy satellite RISAT-2BR1, 9 foreign satellites Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, has the facilities for solid propellant processing, static testing of solid motors, launch vehicle integration and launch operations, range operations comprising telemetry, tracking and command network and mission control centre. The Centre has two launch pads from where the rocket launching operations of PSLV and GSLV are carried out. ISRO chief rejects NASA claim on Chandrayaan 2, says our orbiter located Vikram lander first So why Thoothukudi? The space agency ISRO preferred its second spaceport at Thoothukudi, located on the east coast and near the equator for two reasons. The Earth's rotation provides a speed boost to rockets launched in the eastward direction and headed for an equatorial orbit around the planet. And if there is a failure during the launch, then the debris from an explosion would fall directly into the Bay of Bengal instead of land, which would have less impact on damaging property or taking lives. Sivan had also said that the new location is ideal for launching smaller satellites of less than 500kg in the sun-synchronous orbit. Another advantage of the new spaceport include straight southward launches as the current rockets have to be manoeuvred around Sri Lanka. ISRO, Xiaomi in advanced talks over NaVIC chipsets

Commenting on the gumption of Vikram Sarabhai in launching the nation’s space programme in 1903 with no infrastructure and with only a handful of scientists and engineers with no exposure to space technology, EV Chitnis, a veteran of ISRO said: “When you want to do something entirely new you should not start with writing a project report that would soon become very limiting…. We don’t know at the start what we will be able to do. And then the project develops and things develop and objectives develop as you go. You don’t start with objectives to fulfil; you start and then create new objectives which are in the spirit of what you wanted to do. This is a wonderful thing. Such things don’t happen nowadays!”. This quote captures the spirit of how Sarabhai did what he did. Two allies Sarabhai had two powerful allies in his mission of bringing the fruits of space technology to India: Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, and Homi Bhabha, the czar of organised research in India in those days. All three of them shared a common creed: that modern science and technology are indispensable to the development of the country. Nehru declared: “Science alone can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, insanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running to waste, of a rich country inhabited by starving people.” In 1958, that is, within a year of the launch of Sputnik-1, Nehru passed a scientific policy reso...

The From the linked article (the many cross-referencing links not shown here): Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) is an Indian spaceport operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation. It is located in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram which is near the southern tip of mainland India, very close to earth's magnetic equator. It is currently used by ISRO for launching sounding rockets. Location Thumba is located very close to the magnetic equator of the Earth (located just north of Thumba), making it the ideal location for scientists to conduct atmospheric research. In fact, Thumba's location at 8°32'34" N and 76°51'32" E is ideal for low-altitude, upper atmosphere and ionosphere studies. Thumba is a small fishing village situated close to the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala. Thumba is also one of the farthest points from Pakistan, China and Bangladesh. (emphasis added) $\begingroup$ @RussellBorogove: I think an answer to this question should either explain that "magnetic" equator is irrelevant (and it's just the equator that's important) or else explain why it is relevant. The dupe tells us nothing about this, only explains why the physical equator is important, and only for orbital rockets (not sounding). So, not a dupe at all. $\endgroup$ It turns out the magnetic equator is quite important to for research on geophysics and the interaction of the Earth's field with the atmosphere and solar wind. This locatio...

About VSSC and TERLS Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is the lead Centre for development of satellite launch vehicles and associated technologies in India. The Centre pursues active research and development in a host of distinct technology domains like aeronautics, avionics, composites, etc with a view to achieve self-reliance in the high tech realm of launch vehicle technology. The center had its beginnings as the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1962. It was renamed in honor of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space program. VSSC is surrounded by the villages of Veli to the south, Kulathoor to east, and Pallithura to the north. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Center is one of the main Research & Development establishments within ISRO. VSSC is an entirely indigenous facility working on the development of sounding rockets; Rohini and Menaka launchers; ASLV, PSLV and GSLV, along with the solid-fuel motor program. Wikipedia The massive campus of VSSC from Google Earth. It's the view from about 13800 ft above. Also the Imaginary date is 2003. It's too old. VSSC has its own contributions in the continuing expansion of space applications programmes like village resources centres, tele-medicine, tele-education, disaster management support and outreach through direct-to-home television, India’s first mission to Moon- Chandrayaan-1, etc. Thus the Centre is agog with activities that continue to pursue successful goals on all fronts in meeting the larger obje...

ℹ️ In sub-orbital spaceflight, a spacecraft reaches outer space, but it doesn’t complete an orbital revolution or reach escape velocity. In orbital spaceflight, a spacecraft remains in space for at least one orbit. The World’s Major Spaceports Though the graphic above is a detailed list of many types of rocket launch sites, we’ll focus on major sites that are sending satellites and passengers into sub-orbit, orbit, and beyond. Launch Facility Location Country Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Florida 🇺🇸 U.S. Cape Canaveral Spaceport Florida 🇺🇸 U.S. Kennedy Space Center Florida 🇺🇸 U.S. Cecil Field Spaceport Florida 🇺🇸 U.S. Colorado Air & Space Port Colorado 🇺🇸 U.S. Vandenberg Air Force Base California 🇺🇸 U.S. Mojave Air and Space Port California 🇺🇸 U.S. Oklahoma Air & Space Port Oklahoma 🇺🇸 U.S. Poker Flat Research Range Alaska 🇺🇸 U.S. Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska 🇺🇸 U.S. Spaceport America New Mexico 🇺🇸 U.S. Launch Site One (Corn Ranch) Texas 🇺🇸 U.S. Houston Spaceport Texas 🇺🇸 U.S. Midland Air & Space Port Texas 🇺🇸 U.S. SpaceX Development and Test Facility Texas 🇺🇸 U.S. SpaceX Starbase Texas 🇺🇸 U.S. Spaceport Camden Georgia 🇺🇸 U.S. Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Virginia 🇺🇸 U.S. Wallops Flight Facility Virginia 🇺🇸 U.S. Reagan Test Site Kwajalein Atoll 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands Naro Space Center Outer Naro Island 🇰🇷 South Korea Sohae Satellite Launching Station North Pyongan Province 🇰🇵 North Korea Kapustin Yar Astrakhan Oblast 🇷🇺 Russia Plesetsk Cosmodrome Arkhangelsk Oblas...

It so happened that India’s first rocket launch program was planned without a proper launch pad in place, yet the launch was successful. It was spearheaded by non-other than the Missile Man of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who later on went to became our President as well. So, here is the story that pioneered India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). On November 21, 1963, a small rocket took off from Thumba on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, announcing the birth of the modern space age in India. The village soon came to be known as Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS) and later became Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). A quintessential Kerala fishing hamlet with thatched huts, coconut groves, and peaceful sea, something caught the interest of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space program. A small church dedicated to St Mary Magdalene was located on the Earth’s magnetic equator. The magnetic equator is an imaginary line around the planet that connects all the points where a magnetic needle, when freely suspended, is horizontal. It is scientifically important because the magnetic equator is all where the Equatorial Electrojet exists – a stream of electrons whizzing across the sky, about 110-120 km above the Earth’s surface. Dr. Sarabhai and his fellow scientists (including Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam) went to Thumba to talk to the then-bishop of Trivandrum who lived in the house adjacent to the church. They were interested in acquiring the c...

Its a great place. Lots of different sections are here. Testing, assembling, quality checking etc. And here there is a space museum which will tell you a complete story of Indian space programme . There will be launching of sounding rockets monthly on every 3rd Wednesday. Will feel very proud to be an Indian at this atmosphere. Launch site for Rohini Sounding Rockets. Launches are typically held in the 3rd Wednesday of every month around 11:45 pm... Entry is restricted by pass.RH 200 series rockets are launch from here for meteorological studies.Payload capacity - around 10kgDiameter - 200mmThe payload gets ejected at an altitude of 70 km and the scientific information pertaining to wind and wind velocity will be obtained from 70 km to 20 km. The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) is an Indian spaceport operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is located in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram which is near the southern tip of mainland India, very close to earths magnetic equator. It is currently used by ISRO for launching sounding rockets. Indias first rocket launching station is near the beautiful sea shore of Arabian Sea. No admission for the public unless having special permission. Visitors are allowed only for study purpose and space week celebrations. Nowadays Sriharikota(SHAR) is the Indias only active launch centre. But still here several launches of small sounding rockets are going on periodically for the atmospheric data collections etc...