CHENNAI: ISRO Chairman V Narayanan has said that India will expand its space operations significantly with four functional launch pads by 2029. He outlined the agency’s roadmap, which includes a 2,000-acre dedicated Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi to meet the global demand for satellite deployment.

Clarifying that the national space agency would not be privatised, Narayanan emphasised that partnering with private firms was essential to meet surging global and domestic demands for thousands of satellites.

“ISRO will handhold startups and private enterprises, transferring technological expertise to foster economic growth and generate thousands of high-tech jobs,” he said while speaking at a graduation ceremony at a private university here on Saturday. “India will expand its space operations significantly with four functional launch pads by 2029, supported by an increasing reliance on private industry partnerships to handle commercial operations.”

He stated that the upcoming Kulasekarapattinam spaceport facility would feature crucial infrastructure such as integration buildings, launch pads, rail-track systems, telemetry, tracking, and command systems. However, he did not elaborate on the other three proposed launch pads.

“ISRO plans to conduct the first uncrewed Gaganyaan test within the next two months, followed by two subsequent uncrewed tests before the crewed mission,” he added. “These tests will evaluate environmental control, safety systems, crew escape mechanisms, and module interiors under varying pressure, temperature, and humidity conditions.”

ISRO has successfully conducted approximately 8,000 ground-based experiments for the mission, and four astronaut-designates are currently undergoing specialised training. Narayanan revealed plans for Chandrayaan-5, a collaborative lunar mission with Japan’s space agency featuring a 350-kg rover designed to conduct 100 days of surface experiments.