ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the first rocket will lift off from the new Tamil Nadu launch site next March or April, expanding India's launch infrastructure beyond Sriharikota.

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• ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said in Chennai on November 1 that the first rocket launch from Kulasekharapatnam in Thoothukudi district is planned for March or April next year.
• Kulasekharapatnam will be India's second spaceport after Sriharikota and is being built as a dedicated complex for small launch vehicles.
• The complex is meant for ISRO's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), which carries payloads of up to 500 kg, and for private small rockets such as Skyroot's Vikram-1 and Agnikul's Agnibaan.
• The site spans roughly 2,233 acres and is being developed at an estimated cost of Rs 986 crore.
• Its coastal location allows rockets to fly directly south over the Indian Ocean without crossing land, which cuts fuel use and raises payload capacity.
• Key facilities include two Upper Stage Assembly Facilities for the second and third SSLV stages, along with a Launch Service Building.
• The new site is expected to ease congestion at Sriharikota, which will remain ISRO's primary launch centre for heavier and more complex missions.
• IN-SPACe has invited Indian private companies to operate and manage the complex, while ownership stays with the Department of Space.
• ISRO is to train and support the selected private operator through three launches.
• Narayanan separately said India will have four functional launch pads by 2029.
• He also said Chandrayaan-4 is scheduled for 2028 and that around 8,000 experiments have been completed for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight project.