Corridor to the Outer Space – Sriharikota

Sriharikota is an island in the Bay of Bengal, 17 km off the coast of Orissa. It is the house to India’s only satellite launch center in Satish Dhawan Space Centre and is used by ISRO to launch multi-stage PSLV and GSLV rockets. The island was chosen in 1969 as a satellite launching station, due to a good launch azimuth corridor for various missions, ability to utilize Earth’s rotation for eastward launchings, nearness to the equator, and a large uninhabited area offering a safety zone. The island was originally home to a tribal community, Yanadis, which has since been resettled within the island and rehabilitated by providing educational and employment opportunities.

Getting in

Sullurpeta is the nearest town to Sriharikota. It is about 20 km away. Sullurpet is fairly well-connected to Chennai, which is about 80 km from there. To get to Sullurpeta from Chennai, get to the CMBT (Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus) at Koyambedu in Chennai. Buses to Nellore, Tada etc. will most probably take you to Sullurpet. You will find most of these buses on Platform 3(Bus Bay No. 18, 19). The travel time from CMBT to Sullurpeta is 2 hours, along NH 5, a four-lane road. Once at the Sullurpet bus stand, get to the 'SHAR' (Sriharikota Range)bus stand, which is about a kilometer or two away. You could either take an auto or perhaps a share-auto to get there. From the 'SHAR' bus stand, bus service to the Space station (which is the only thing at Sriharikota) is available, although getting into a jeep or a share-auto would be the best way to get there. A word of caution here, you might have to stand on the foot board in the rear end of the jeep or sit in the driver's seat and yet not drive the jeep!! The jeep drive would cost Rs.10 per person and the share auto even lesser. The drive is extremely beautiful with the Pulicat Lake on both sides of the road. The Pulicat Bird Sanctuary is also on the Road and if you are lucky enough, you might spot some Pelicans too!

Getting around

To get around the Satish Dhawan Space Station at Sriharikota, you need prior permission. Knowing an employee at the space station might help. srihari kota is a very good place but they don't allow all people

Seeing

If you are planning to get to Sriharikota to watch a rocket launch and do not know anybody working at the Space Station, never mind. You could still watch the launch, although from outside the entrance of the Satish Dhawan Space Station. Stopping the jeep a little before the Space Station entrance will be the best thing to do. Alight from the jeep about half a kilometer before the Space Station and look straight in the direction of the Space Station entrance. The launch will be visible fairly well, and also audible more than fairly well.

Doign

On being permitted to enter the Satish Dhawan Space Station, one could tour the whole place and have a look at the launch vehicles and pads from up-close. Typically, without permission, one cannot enter the Space Station. The security during a launch is further beefed-up, however the launch can be watched from outside the Space Station itself.

Pulicat Lake is another destination close-by which can be visited for backwaters, migratory birds and boating

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