Sounding rockets are suborbital rockets that are primarily used to carry scientific instruments into the upper atmosphere and space for a brief period of time. India is one of the countries that has been actively using sounding rockets for various scientific missions. These rockets are launched from several rocket launch stations located across the country.
The first rocket launch station established in India was the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. TERLS was established in 1962 and has since been used for various sounding rocket missions. The station is situated close to the magnetic equator, which provides a unique advantage for studying the upper atmosphere and the ionosphere. TERLS has been used to launch rockets like RH-200, RH-300, and RH-560, among others.
The second rocket launch station in India is the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. SDSC is the primary launch site for India's satellite launch vehicles and is also used for launching sounding rockets. The station has two launch pads, one for polar satellite launch vehicles (PSLV) and the other for geosynchronous satellite launch vehicles (GSLV). SDSC has been used to launch rockets like RH-200, RH-300, RH-560, and RH-560XL, among others.
Apart from TERLS and SDSC, there are several other rocket launch stations in India that are used for sounding rocket missions. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is one such station. VSSC has been used to launch rockets like RH-200 and RH-300. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) also has a rocket launch station located in Chandipur, Odisha. The station is primarily used for testing ballistic missiles but has also been used for launching sounding rockets like RH-300 and RH-560.
Another rocket launch station in India is the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Balloon Facility located in Hyderabad, Telangana. This station is primarily used for launching balloons and is also used for launching sounding rockets. The station has been used to launch rockets like RH-200 and RH-560.
