Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station Explained

Location:Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Coordinates:8.5428°N 76.8589°W
Time Zone:IST
Utc Offset:+05:30
Short:TERLS
Operator:ISRO

Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) is an Indian rocket launching site established on 21 November 1963.[1] [2] Operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (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 for launching sounding rockets.

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]

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.

The site has five launchpads:

Location

Thumba's[12] 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.[13] [14]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sounding Rockets - ISRO. www.isro.gov.in. 2019-09-11. 11 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191211145536/https://www.isro.gov.in/launchers/sounding-rockets. dead.
  2. Web site: Wade . Mark . 2019 . Thumba . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220521163843/http://astronautix.com/t/thumba.html . 21 May 2022 . 2023-11-12 . astronautix.com.
  3. Web site: Pal . Sanchari . 2016-11-08 . Transported on a Bicycle, Launched from a Church: The Amazing Story of India's First Rocket Launch . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190419214459/https://www.thebetterindia.com/74283/first-rocket-india-thumba-vikram-sarabhai-abdul-kalam/ . 19 April 2019 . 2019-09-04 . The Better India . en-US.
  4. Web site: Joseph . Verghese . 2019-07-23 . When ISRO Aimed For the Heavens, a Tiny Church in Kerala Said Amen! . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201028222043/https://indiancatholicmatters.org/when-india-aimed-for-the-heavens-a-tiny-church-in-kerala-said-amen/ . 28 October 2020 . 2020-10-26 . Indian Catholic Matters . en-US.
  5. Web site: Remembering the guiding light. 2020-10-26. Deccan Chronicle. 30 November 2019 . 28 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201028212145/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/amp/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/301119/remembering-the-guiding-light.html. live.
  6. Web site: Pawar . Ashwini . Jul 29, 2015 . I'm proud that I recommended him for ISRO: EV Chitnis . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709211836/https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-i-m-proud-that-i-recommended-him-for-isro-ev-chitnis-2109096 . 9 July 2021 . 13 July 2021.
  7. Web site: Thumba Pad 1 . Wade . Mark . 2019 . 2023-11-12 . astronautix.com . 12 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112155308/http://astronautix.com/t/thumbapad1.html . live .
  8. Web site: Thumba Pad 2 . Wade . Mark . 2019 . 2024-03-01 . astronautix.com.
  9. Web site: Thumba Pad 3 . Wade . Mark . 2019 . 2024-03-01 . astronautix.com.
  10. Web site: Thumba Pad 4 . Wade . Mark . 2019 . 2024-03-01 . astronautix.com.
  11. Web site: Thumba Pad 5 . Wade . Mark . 2019 . 2023-11-12 . astronautix.com . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220117155119/http://www.astronautix.com/t/thumbapad5.html . live .
  12. Ley . Willy . June 1964 . Anyone Else for Space? . For Your Information . Galaxy Science Fiction . 110–128 .
  13. Web site: Iype . George . November 20, 2003 . Forty years in Space . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210417222418/http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/nov/20spec.htm . 17 April 2021 . 10 May 2016 . www.rediff.com . India Abroad.
  14. News: Rocket science of south. Arun. Ram. February 19, 2015. November 12, 2022. The Times of India. 12 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221112221531/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rocket-science-of-south/articleshow/46294497.cms. live.