Gir Somnath Spaceport: Gujarat government plans India’s third spaceport near Gir Somnath | India News
New Delhi: Later Sriharikota Spaceport and the upcoming launch port at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, India’s third satellite launch center is likely to come up in Gujarat.Gujarat Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia recently announced in the state assembly that a proposed launch site has been identified near Gir Somnath district along the Arabian Sea coast.Talking about the budget demands for his department, Modhwadia said the space was identified after consultation with space regulator and promoter Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACE). “As per our request, IN-SPACE has found a suitable location which can be developed as a launchpad for placing satellites in orbit like Sriharikota. That location is between UT of Diu and Kodinar. We are moving in that direction now,” said the minister.Speaking to TOI, a senior space official said, “A state government or even a private company can set up a satellite launch center in India. The process has been streamlined, especially after reforms in the space sector. But conducting satellite launch operations from that site will require prior approval from IN-SPACe, which functions under the department’s single-window agency.”According to the Standards, Guidelines and Procedures (NGP) for the implementation of the Indian Space Policy-2023, “Any space activity, which shall include, inter alia, the launch, operation, guidance and/or re-entry of any space object as described in Section-5 of the Indian Space Policy-2023, shall require approval from the IN-ACSP.As the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) manages airspace, it issues Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) to alert aircraft before launching any satellite or rocket. Therefore, the role of DGCA also comes into play before any rocket launch.As part of the initiative to promote the space sector, the Gujarat government is also setting up a Gujarat Space Park covering 100 acres near Sanand to attract companies working in space technology and satellite manufacturing. Minister Modhwadia said the facility is expected to house space technology-based industrial units, which will help create a comprehensive ecosystem for the sector.“I am happy to say that Azista Aerospace has started manufacturing small satellites at a cost of Rs 500 crore and the process of allotment of land for them has started,” the minister told the Assembly. According to him, the facility will become India’s first private-sector satellite manufacturing plant capable of handling end-to-end operations. These initiatives aim to position Gujarat as a key hub in India’s rapidly expanding aerospace sector.India’s primary spaceport at Sriharikota, formally known as the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) SHAR, was launched on October 9, 1971, with the launch of an RH-125 sounding rocket. The spaceport has so far launched 434 foreign satellites, 134 spacecraft missions and 18 launches by private players or students.India’s second spaceport is under construction at Kulasekarapattinam in TN, with an allocation of Rs 985.9 crore for the project, the target launched for this financial year.
