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Relying on limited number of launch pads for rockets poses operational risks: panel

March 26, 2026 6 min read Science & Technology Polity & Governance GS3 (Science & Technology Space) GS2 (Governance Parliamentary Oversight)
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What Happened

  • A parliamentary panel has flagged the operational risks posed by India's reliance on a single spaceport — the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh — which currently has only two functional launch pads for all of India's orbital launch requirements.
  • The panel noted that any damage to Sriharikota's infrastructure from natural disasters (the facility is on a barrier island vulnerable to cyclones), technical failures, or security incidents would halt all Indian launch activity with no fallback — a significant vulnerability as ISRO's launch cadence increases and private sector launches begin.
  • India is addressing this gap on two fronts: the Union Cabinet approved a Third Launch Pad (TLP) at Sriharikota in 2025 (cost: ₹3,985 crore, targeted commissioning by March 2029), and a second spaceport — the SSLV Launch Complex at Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu — is under construction with commissioning expected in FY2026-27.
  • The First Launch Pad (FLP) at SDSC handles PSLV and SSLV launches; the Second Launch Pad (SLP) handles PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3. Both are currently the only orbital launch infrastructure in India.
  • The Third Launch Pad is designed for Next Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV) — ISRO's proposed heavy-lift rocket — and will also serve as a standby for the SLP, enhancing human spaceflight readiness for the Gaganyaan mission and beyond.
  • The panel's recommendation comes as India's space sector is experiencing rapid growth: over 200 private space startups, multiple commercial satellite launches planned, and ISRO's launch cadence targeted to increase significantly under the Indian Space Policy 2023.

Static Topic Bridges

India's Spaceport Infrastructure: Satish Dhawan Space Centre

The Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), also known as SHAR (Sriharikota High Altitude Range), is India's primary launch facility, located on Sriharikota Island in the Potti Sriramulu Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. Named after the former ISRO chairman, it has been operational since 1971 and has supported every major Indian orbital launch mission.

  • Geographic advantage: Sriharikota is located at approximately 13.7°N latitude — close to the equator, which reduces the fuel required to reach geostationary orbit due to the rotational boost from Earth's equatorial spin. (For comparison, the closer to the equator, the greater the 465 m/s velocity boost from Earth's rotation.)
  • The First Launch Pad (FLP), commissioned in 1993, primarily supports PSLV. The Second Launch Pad (SLP), commissioned in 2005, supports PSLV, GSLV Mk II, and LVM3 (the ISRO rocket used for Chandrayaan-3 and OneWeb launches).
  • Sriharikota's vulnerability: The island sits on the Bay of Bengal coast, a cyclone-prone region. The 1977 Andhra cyclone caused significant damage to early ISRO infrastructure. Modern facilities have been hardened, but the geographic risk remains relevant.
  • India's launch frequency has been increasing: ISRO averaged 5–6 launches per year through most of the 2010s but aims to reach 12+ launches per year by 2028 as commercial demand grows.
  • Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram is the rocket development facility; propellant complexes are at Mahendragiri (IPRC). Sriharikota is purely the launch site — making it a single point of failure in the entire launch value chain.

Connection to this news: The parliamentary panel's concern is precisely about this "single point of failure" architecture. With one island as India's only launch site and two pads on it, any disruption — operational, meteorological, or otherwise — would freeze India's entire launch programme, including time-sensitive commercial and national security satellite missions.

Parliamentary Oversight of India's Space Programme

The Indian space programme, managed primarily by the Department of Space (DoS) under the Prime Minister's Office, has historically operated with limited direct parliamentary oversight compared to civilian ministries. The Space Commission and ISRO's Governing Council provide internal governance, but parliamentary committees play a key external accountability role.

  • The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests & Climate Change, and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) are the primary parliamentary bodies that scrutinise ISRO and the Department of Space.
  • The Indian Space Policy 2023 formalised the roles of ISRO (as R&D and national mission agency), IN-SPACe (as regulator and facilitator for private sector), and NSIL — New Space India Limited (as the commercial arm for technology transfer).
  • IN-SPACe has received over 658 applications from private companies for space activities since 2020, and over 200 spacetech startups are now operating in India.
  • The ₹10,000 crore IN-SPACe fund (announced 2024) will invest in 40+ space companies over five years.
  • Parliament's role includes approving ISRO's annual budget (currently approximately ₹13,000+ crore/year), scrutinising mission delays and cost overruns, and providing direction on strategic priorities — including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.

Connection to this news: The parliamentary panel's flagging of launch pad vulnerability is an example of effective legislative oversight of strategic infrastructure. The recommendation signals that Parliament is actively monitoring operational readiness risks as ISRO transitions from a purely government agency model to a broader national space ecosystem under the 2023 policy.

India's Emerging Space Ecosystem and the Need for Resilient Infrastructure

India's space sector is undergoing a structural transformation from a government monopoly to a mixed public-private ecosystem, which dramatically changes infrastructure requirements. When only ISRO launched rockets, two pads at one site may have sufficed. With private launch vehicles entering service, the demand for launch infrastructure is growing rapidly.

  • Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-I rocket (private) is set for orbital test launches from SDSC Sriharikota in 2026 — the first private Indian orbital rocket launch.
  • Agnikul Cosmos, another private launch vehicle startup, conducted a successful sub-orbital test of its Agnibaan SOrTeD vehicle in May 2024.
  • The Kulasekarapattinam spaceport (Tamil Nadu) is being developed specifically for Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) targeting sun-synchronous polar orbits, with construction begun in March 2025 and commissioning targeted for FY2026-27. Estimated cost: ₹950 crore.
  • A third launch pad at Sriharikota, approved in early 2025 at ₹3,985 crore, is designed for ISRO's Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) — a heavy-lift rocket planned to replace GSLV Mk III/LVM3 — with commissioning by March 2029.
  • India's commercial satellite launch market is growing: ISRO's NSIL and private operators are targeting launches for OneWeb (now Eutelsat), Amazon Kuiper, and other foreign constellations — contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars that depend on reliable launch schedules.

Connection to this news: The panel's concerns about operational risk are directly proportional to the stakes involved. As India moves to compete commercially in the global launch services market, a single failed or delayed launch due to infrastructure unavailability carries reputational and financial costs that make the investment in resilient, distributed launch infrastructure not just prudent but commercially necessary.

Key Facts & Data

  • India's only spaceport: Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC/SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh
  • Current launch pads: 2 (First Launch Pad for PSLV/SSLV; Second Launch Pad for PSLV/GSLV/LVM3)
  • Third Launch Pad (TLP): Cabinet approved in 2025; cost ₹3,985 crore; targeted commissioning March 2029; designed for Next Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV)
  • Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport (Tamil Nadu): India's 2nd spaceport; under construction (March 2025); for SSLV; cost ₹950 crore; commissioning targeted FY2026-27
  • Sriharikota latitude: ~13.7°N — provides equatorial velocity boost for geostationary launches
  • Indian Space Policy 2023: Established IN-SPACe as regulator; opened sector to private players
  • Private space startups in India: 200+; IN-SPACe applications received: 658+ since 2020
  • ₹10,000 crore IN-SPACe fund to invest in 40+ space companies over 5 years
  • ISRO annual budget: approximately ₹13,000+ crore
  • Gaganyaan (human spaceflight mission): Under development; requires reliable SLP/TLP infrastructure