Two space cities may come up at Sriharikota, Lepakshi

Time of India

31-05-2025

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh has began making decisive strides toward becoming a major player in India's expanding space sector. With chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu unveiling an ambitious plan to develop two world-class space cities—one near Sriharikota's Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR and another at Lepakshi, the state is clearly positioning itself to contribute meaningfully to India's space economy.
To steer these efforts, the State recently appointed former Isro chairman Dr S Somanath as its honorary advisor on space technology. His experience is expected to shape a globally competitive space ecosystem in the state.
The proposed space city near Sriharikota is particularly strategic. It aims to become a hub for satellite manufacturing and launch vehicle development, directly leveraging proximity to India's premiere spaceport.
The second hub near Lepakshi is envisioned as a centre for space innovation and private industry collaboration. Together, they are designed to foster public-private partnerships, nurture R&D, and promote indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
Proximity to SHAR offers immense logistical and operational advantages along with reduced transportation costs for high-risk materials like liquid oxygen and helium, faster turnaround for critical supplies, and greater responsiveness to mission timelines.
Experts point out that locating satellite integration, testing, and calibration units in eastern Tirupati district can significantly enhance both Isro's mission-readiness and regional industrial growth.
Several industries located in Sri City, just 40 km from Sriharikota, are already supporting Isro's launch vehicle programmes, strengthening the case for developing an aerospace cluster around this strategic location.
With world-class infrastructure, multimodal connectivity, and a robust industrial ecosystem, Sri City is uniquely positioned for space manufacturing expansion. Among the contributors are VRV Asia Pacific (supplies India's first indigenous liquid hydrogen storage tank), Danieli India (manufactures large steel structure 'mobile launch pedestal' for transporting launch vehicles), Rotolok (provides rotary airlocks and valves for solid propellant systems), THK India (supplies linear motion guides used in Chandrayaan-3), Val-Met Engineering (processes aerospace-grade titanium, nickel, and aluminium alloys), NovaAir (supplies liquid oxygen for cryogenic stages), and Siddhartha Logistics (handles sensitive Isro payload logistics).
Sri City's strong collaboration with Isro reinforces AP's aerospace ambitions.
Notwithstanding the bold initiatives, the state is conspicuously missing from the national conversation around space manufacturing hubs. While IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) has recognised Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka for focused roles in launch vehicles, satellites, and general manufacturing respectively, AP, which is home to the country's only operational spaceport, has not yet been included.
Experts are of the view that these gap points to a pressing need for state govt to come up with a dedicated space policy. A formal policy would lend strategic direction to the state's efforts, define sector-specific incentives, enable institutional frameworks for collaboration, and strengthen its case for inclusion in national plans. It would signal readiness to partner with private players and central agencies like IN-SPACe on clear terms.