Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
| തുമ്പ ഇക്ക്വറ്റോറിയൽ റോക്കറ്റ് വിക്ഷേപണ കേന്ദ്രം | |
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 Launch of RH-300 Mk2 from TERLS |
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1962 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of India |
| Headquarters |
Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, India 8°32′34″N 76°51′32″E / 8.54278°N 76.85889°E |
| Employees | Unknown (2008) |
| Annual budget | See ISRO |
| Parent agency | ISRO |
| Website | ISRO TERLS home page |
The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) is an Indian spaceport operated by the Indian Space Research Organization. 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.
Thumba is located very close the magnetic equator of the Earth (located just north of Thumba), making it the ideal location for scientists to conduct atmospheric research. 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. Thumba is also one of the farthest points from Pakistan and China.
Coordinates: 8°32′34″N 76°51′32″E / 8.54278°N 76.85889°E
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