India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to lay the foundation stone for construction of the new facility on February 28th which will come up in an area of 2,233 acres in Padukkapathu, near Chennai in Tamul Nadu.

India’s government has completed land acquisition for the ambitious project which will be built at a cost of Rs 950 crore (about €106m). The foundation ceremony comes close on the heels of the Centre allowing 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the space sector.

The second spaceport in will function in addition to the existing spaceport in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The new facility will serve as a dedicated space for launching Small Satellites and opening the door on greater private enterprise.

India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says the new spaceport will permit heavier payloads for rockets and allow for a speedier turn-around between launches.

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Tags: india, ISRO, rocket