The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is constructing a Third Launch Pad (TLP) at its Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, which is expected to be operational by March 2029.

This project was approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2025, with a budget of around ₹4,000 crore. The TLP is designed to support the Next Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV), Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) with semi-cryogenic stages, and scaled-up NGLV configurations, enabling launches of spacecraft weighing up to 30,000 tons into low Earth orbit, significantly heavier than current capabilities (e.g., LVM-3 lift-off mass is 640 tonnes).

The TLP will enhance ISRO’s launch capacity, allowing higher launch frequencies and serving as a backup to the existing two operational launch pads at SDSC: the First Launch Pad (FLP), operational since 1993 primarily for PSLV and SSLV, and the Second Launch Pad (SLP), commissioned in December 2003 for heavier GSLV and LVM3 vehicles.

The TLP project involves four key milestones: completion of civil works by May 2028, establishment of fluid systems and propellant storage by July 2028, launch pad facilities by September 2028, and commissioning by March 2029.

Located on the south coast of Andhra Pradesh, SDSC is ISRO’s primary spaceport, supporting India’s expanding ambitions in military, scientific, commercial, and human spaceflight domains.

The TLP will play a crucial role in supporting ambitious future missions, including human spaceflight (Gaganyaan), the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035, and a crewed lunar landing by 2040. It will also improve redundancy, streamline launch processes, and boost India’s capacity for interplanetary exploration.

The government aims to incorporate Indian private players and MSMEs through a tendering process to participate in the project. Preliminary surveys including geo-technical investigations were completed by May 2025, with road and electrical works underway for setting up the complex.

The third launch pad at SDSC is a critical infrastructure upgrade for ISRO, scheduled for commissioning by March 2029, expected to support heavier payload launches and India’s long-term space exploration goals.

Agencies