Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad


The Second Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre is a rocket launch site in Sriharikota, India. It is the second of two launch pads at the centre. The Second Launch Pad was designed, supplied, erected & commissioned by MECON Limited, a Government of Indian Enterprise, located at Ranchi during the period March 1999 to December 2003. It cost about at that time. The second launch pad with associated facilities was built in 2005. However it became operational on 5 May 2005 with the launching of PSLV-C6. MECON's sub-contractors for this project including Inox India, HEC, Tata Growth, Goderej Boyce, Simplex, Nagarjuna Construction, Steelage, etc. The other Launch Pad being the First Launch Pad. It is used by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk.III and is intended for India's first manned space mission.

Launches

The first launch from the pad occurred on 5 May 2005, and was of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle carrying the CARTOSAT-1 and HAMSAT satellites. India's 1st Moon Mission, Chandrayan-I was launched from this launch pad on 22 October 2008. Its follow-up mission Chandrayaan-2 was also launched from this launch pad on 22 July 2019. The most recent launch was of a PSLV-XL on 27 November 2019.
The full list of launches from the complex is in the article List of Satish Dhawan Space Centre launches.

Facilities

"As per the "Integrate, Transfer and Launch " concept, based on which the launch pad and the associated facilities are designed, the entire vehicle is assembled and checked-out on a mobile pedestal in the Vehicle Assembly Building and then moved in vertical position to the launch pad on a roll track."
"Other facilities include, Solid Stage Assembly Building connected to the Vehicle Assembly Building by a rail track, Technical Complex-2, Spacecraft Preparation Facility, Range Instrumentation facilities comprising tracking, telemetry and tele-command systems".
A new assembly building being constructed with a budgetary grant of is nearing completion and is expected to be ready by mid 2018. This upgrade is expected to increase the launch capacity of second launch pad complex to 11 launches per year.
In November 2019, ISRO released tenders for augmentation of SLP for Gaganyaan project.