Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) is an Indian spaceport established on 21 November 1963[1], operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is located in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram which is near the southern tip of mainland India, very close to earth's magnetic equator. It is currently used by ISRO for launching sounding rockets.[1]
 | |
 Launch of RH-300 Mk2 from TERLS | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1963 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of India |
| Headquarters | Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, India 8°32′34″N 76°51′32″E |
| Employees | Unknown (2008) |
| Annual budget | See ISRO |
| Parent agency | ISRO |
| Website | [http://asia.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=9131 ISRO TERLS home pa |
The first rockets were assembled in former St Louis High School, which houses now a space museum [2].
Location
Thumba: [3] In fact, Thumba's 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.[4] Thumba is also one of the farthest points from Pakistan, China, Afganistan and Bangladesh. [5]
References
- "Sounding Rockets - ISRO". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
- "Transported on a Bicycle, Launched from a Church: The Amazing Story of India's First Rocket Launch". The Better India. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- Ley, Willy (June 1964). "Anyone Else for Space?". For Your Information. Galaxy Science Fiction. pp. 110–128.
- "Forty years in Space". www.rediff.com. India Abroad. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rocket-science-of-south/articleshow/4672661
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station. |
