MADURAI: The land acquisition for the much awaited rocket launch pad near Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district is almost completed, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) S. Somanath said in Madurai on Saturday.

According to sources, around 2,400 acres of land is required for the project and nearly 2,300 acres have so far been acquired in portions under Tiruchendur and Sathankulam taluks.

During the process of land acquisition, efforts were made to relocate around forty houses from Koodalnagar to Udangudi town panchayat area. A team comprising eight Tahsildars, one Deputy Collector and a DRO was engaged in the process since 2019.

Somanath said the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) rocket launch pad in Kulasekarapattinam would be a big advantage as any SSLV would go directly into orbit instead of taking a circuitous pass over the south pole.

He added that once the land acquisition is over, security will be tightened during construction of a compound wall around the launch pad site. Once the project is taken up, it would take two years to complete, he said.