Kerala Spacepark: Common Facility Centre, Research and Development Centre to be ready by January 2028

Published 25 July 2026 · science

A Common Facility Centre (CFC) and a Research and Development Centre (RDC), which together constitute the first location of the State government’s Kerala Spacepark (K-Space)

A Common Facility Centre (CFC) and a Research and Development Centre (RDC), which together constitute the first location of the State government’s Kerala Spacepark (K-Space) at Pallipuram in Thiruvananthapuram district, are expected to be ready by January 2028, K-Space officials said. K-Space is back in the news with the United Democratic Front (UDF) government planning to unlock Kerala’s ‘space economy’ potential by encouraging private satellite manufacturing and launching enterprises to set up shop in the State. Further, the Revised Budget for 2026-27 has listed a government plan to develop Thiruvananthapuram as a ‘Knowledge and Space Technology Hub’ under the ‘Southern Kerala Economic Corridor’ project.

The emergence of space-tech start-ups and the recent successes of space-tech companies such as Skyroot Aerospace, which recently flew its Vikram-1 launch vehicle, and the Technopark-based small satellite firm HEX20 underscore the significance of a facility like K-Space. The Pallipuram campus of K-Space has approximately 18.5 acres, and work on the two blocks—for the CFC and RDC—is currently progressing on 3.5 acres, a senior K-Space official told The Hindu. The CFC is envisaged as a shared space and resource for businesses, entrepreneurs, and start-ups.

The RDC is meant to promote innovation and support industry-academia collaboration, product development, and prototyping. The work is being undertaken using a ₹241.3-crore loan sanctioned by the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) scheme. “We already have 14 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the ISRO units in Thiruvananthapuram as well as the industry,” G. Levin, Chief Executive Officer, K-Space, said. K-Space is also moving ahead with plans to develop two other campuses—a 13.5-acre project at Valiamala close to the ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), and a 60-acre facility at Veli near the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

Steps related to the acquisition of land are in progress in both locations.

Read full story on TheBriefWire