LAUNCH POSITION FOR NEW SLV SRI HARIKOTA SPACE LAUNCH FACILITY, INDIA

Document Type:

CREST [1]

Collection:

NGA Records (Formerly NIMA) [2]

Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):

CIA-RDP91T00712R000100290008-4

Release Decision:

RIPPUB

Original Classification:

Document Page Count:

Document Creation Date:

December 28, 2016

Document Release Date:

March 16, 2011

Sequence Number:

Case Number:

Publication Date:

September 19, 1983

Content Type:

REPORT

File:

Attachment	Size
CIA-RDP91T00712R000100290008-4.pdf [3]	60.71 KB

Body:

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/16: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100290008-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/16: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100290008-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/16: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100290008-4 (c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER Page 1 of IAttachment W!_ Z-15116/83- Copy~~~ ~_NPICLPEG (9J83) LAUNCH POSITION FOR NEW SLV SRI HARIKOTA SPACE LAUNCH FACILITY, INDIA 1. SIGNIFICANCE: ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION AT THE PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED NEW LAUNCH POSITION AT THIS SPACE LAUNCH FACILITY INDICATES THAT A NEW TYPE SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLE (SLV) WILL BE LAUNCHED FROM HERE. (SWN) 2. REMARKS A NEW SERVICE RAIL LINE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION WHICH EXTENDS TO THE NORTHWEST FROM THE NEW LAUNCH POSITION. THE SERVICE RAIL LINE, WHICH DOES NOT TRAVERSE THE LAUNCH PAD, MAY BE FOR A MOBILE SERVICE GANTRY OR POSSIBLY FOR A RAIL-MOUNTED ENVIRONMENTAL SHELTER SIMILAR TO THE ONE SERVING THE ORIGINAL LAUNCH POSITION. THE SERVICE RAIL LINE WIDE AND :25X1 APPROXIMATELY 90 METERS IN LENGTH. THE WIDTH OF THE SERVICE RAIL LINE INDICATES THAT AN SLV LARGER THAN THE SLV-3 WILL BE LAUNCHED FROM THE NEW LAUNCH POSITION. CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAIL LINE WAS NOT OBSERVED WHEN THIS FACILITY 25X1 WAS LAST IMAGED. (SWN) THE ORIGINAL LAUNCH POSITION IS USED TO LAUNCH THE SLV-3, A 17-TON, FOUR-STAGE SOLID PROPELLANT LAUNCH VEHICLE. WHEN COMPLETED, THE NEW LAUNCH POSITION, WHICH IS 150 METERS NORTH OF THE ORIGINAL LAUNCH POSITION, WILL BE USED TO LAUNCH THE NEW, LARGER SLV BY 1985. SRI HARIKOTA SPACE LAUNCH FACILITY, 36 NM NORTH OF MADRAS ON THE BAY OF BENGAL, IS INDIA'S ONLY SPACE LAUNCH FACILITY. (SWN) COORDINATES 13-40-25N 080-13-35E These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed ana- lytical work. Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the reporting period as indicated by the date of issue. WARNING NOTICE Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved S _R FT Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/16: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100290008-4