Astronomy:Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station

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Short description: Indian spaceport

Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
Launch of RH-300 Mk2 from TERLS
LocationThumba, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Coordinates [ ⚑ ] 8°32′34″N 76°51′32″E / 8.54278°N 76.85889°E / 8.54278; 76.85889
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
Short nameTERLS
Established21 November 1963; 62 years ago (1963-11-21)
OperatorISRO

Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) is India's first rocket launching station and was established on 21 November 1963.[1][2] Operated by ISRO, it is located in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, which is near the southwestern tip of mainland India, very close to Earth's magnetic equator. It is currently used by ISRO (as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre) for launching sounding rockets.[1]

History

The first rockets were assembled in the former St Louis High School, which now houses a space museum.[3] The local Bishop of Trivandrum, Rev. Peter Bernard Periera, along with Vincent Victor Dereere (a Belgian) and district collector Madhavan Nair were instrumental in acquiring a large parcel of land measuring 600 acres from coastal community.[4] Periera had given away the prayer hall and bishop's room in the local church. Minister of State for External Affairs, Lakshmi N. Menon helped to smooth bureaucratic hurdles facing the project in Delhi.[5] H. G. S. Murthy was appointed as the first Director of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station.[6]

File:TERLS-01.jpg
First rocket launched from TERLS being prepared. A Nike Apache in 1963.

21 November 1963 marked India's first venture into space, with the launch of a two-stage Nike Apache sounding rocket from TERLS. The first rockets launched were built in United States. The Indian navy also deputed two Bregut Alize aircraft for tracking and ranging operations during the development of sounding rockets.[7]

The first Indian designed and built rocket, RH-75, made its maiden flight on 20 November 1967. This was the 52nd launch of a sounding rocket from TERLS. It was flown twice again in 1967 and another 12 times in 1968, making a total of 15 RH-75 flights.[citation needed]

Over the years VSSC has designed, developed and since 1965 started launching a family of sounding rockets under the generic name, Rohini sounding rockets to serve a range of scientific missions. The currently operational Rohini Sounding Rockets are RH-200, RH-300, RH-560 and their different versions. These sounding rockets are launched for carrying out research in areas like meteorology and upper atmospheric processes up to an altitude of about 500 km.[8]

TERLS was formally dedicated to the United Nations on 2 February 1968, by then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.[9][10] Although no direct funding from the UN was involved, scientists from several countries including United States, Russia (former USSR), France, Japan, Germany and UK continue to utilize the TERLS facility for conducting rocket based experiments.

After the death of Vikram Sarabhai on 30 December 1971, TERLS and associated space establishments at Thiruvananthapuram were renamed as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in his honour.

Rockets launched from the site include RH-300, M-100, Nike Apache, Arcas, Boosted Arcas, Skua 1, Centaure, Centaure 2A, Centaure 2B, Nike Tomahawk, Dragon 1, Judi-Dart, Boosted Arcas 2, Petrel 1, RH-75, Skua 2, Sandhawk Tomahawk, Menaka II, RH-125, M-100B, M-100A, RH-200 and RH-300 Mk II.[2]

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Launchpads

The site has five launchpads:

Location

Thumba's[16] location at 8°32'34" N and 76°51'32" E is ideal for low-altitude, upper atmosphere and ionosphere studies. Thumba is a small fishing village situated close to the Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala.[17][18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Sounding Rockets - ISRO". https://www.isro.gov.in/launchers/sounding-rockets. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wade, Mark (2019). "Thumba". http://astronautix.com/t/thumba.html. 
  3. ↑ Pal, Sanchari (2016-11-08). "Transported on a Bicycle, Launched from a Church: The Amazing Story of India's First Rocket Launch" (in en-US). https://www.thebetterindia.com/74283/first-rocket-india-thumba-vikram-sarabhai-abdul-kalam/. 
  4. ↑ Joseph, Verghese (2019-07-23). "When ISRO Aimed For the Heavens, a Tiny Church in Kerala Said Amen!" (in en-US). https://indiancatholicmatters.org/when-india-aimed-for-the-heavens-a-tiny-church-in-kerala-said-amen/. 
  5. ↑ "Remembering the guiding light". 30 November 2019. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/301119/remembering-the-guiding-light.html. 
  6. ↑ Pawar, Ashwini (29 July 2015). "I'm proud that I recommended him for ISRO: EV Chitnis". https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-i-m-proud-that-i-recommended-him-for-isro-ev-chitnis-2109096. 
  7. ↑ "INAS 310 “Cobras” – Indian Navy" (in en-US). https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/navy/units/others/inas-310/. 
  8. ↑ "Sounding Rocket". https://www.vssc.gov.in/VSSC/index.php/launchers/sounding-rocket. 
  9. ↑ Rao, U.R. (2014). India's Rise as a Space Power. New Delhi: Foundation Books. p. 11. ISBN 978-93-82993-48-3. 
  10. ↑ PV Manoranjan Rao; P Radhakrishnan (2012). A Brief History of Rocketry in ISRO. Hyderabad: Universities Press (India) Private Limited. pp. 27–28. ISBN 978-81-7371-763-5. 
  11. ↑ Wade, Mark (2019). "Thumba Pad 1". http://astronautix.com/t/thumbapad1.html. 
  12. ↑ Wade, Mark (2019). "Thumba Pad 2". http://astronautix.com/t/thumbapad2.html. 
  13. ↑ Wade, Mark (2019). "Thumba Pad 3". http://astronautix.com/t/thumbapad3.html. 
  14. ↑ Wade, Mark (2019). "Thumba Pad 4". http://astronautix.com/t/thumbapad4.html. 
  15. ↑ Wade, Mark (2019). "Thumba Pad 5". http://astronautix.com/t/thumbapad5.html. 
  16. ↑ Ley, Willy (June 1964). "Anyone Else for Space?". Galaxy Science Fiction: 110–128. https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v22n05_1964-06_modified#page/n69/mode/2up. 
  17. ↑ Iype, George (20 November 2003). "Forty years in Space". India Abroad. http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/nov/20spec.htm. 
  18. ↑ Ram, Arun (19 February 2015). "Rocket science of south". https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rocket-science-of-south/articleshow/46294497.cms. 

[ ⚑ ] 8°32′34″N 76°51′32″E / 8.54278°N 76.85889°E / 8.54278; 76.85889



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