Science & Innovation

Sriharikota Launch View Gallery: Passes and Travel from Chennai

Watching an ISRO launch from Sriharikota is free, but you must register for each launch. Here is how booking works and how to get there from Chennai.

19 October 2026

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Updated 2026-10-29, 2:05 AM

Watching an ISRO rocket launch from Sriharikota costs nothing, but you need a pass booked online for that specific launch through the Launch View Gallery portal at lvg.shar.gov.in. The portal, run by the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), states that viewing from the gallery is free, and it asks every visitor for a government photo ID, a mobile number and an email address at the time of booking.

The gallery sits on Sriharikota island in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district, north of Chennai across the state border. ISRO built it because public demand to see launches far outstripped the space centre’s limited visitor capacity. Its first phase seats 5,000 people in a stadium-style stand, according to ISRO’s Launch View Gallery page. This guide covers booking, what to carry and how to plan the trip from the city.

What the Launch View Gallery is

The gallery is an open stepped stand placed with a clear line of sight to both of SHAR’s launch pads. You watch lift-off with the naked eye, while large screens explain the rocket and its satellite and carry live coverage before and after the launch. ISRO’s page says the facility was due to be opened by the ISRO Chairman on 31 March 2019.

The gallery is the first piece of a planned Space Theme Park. The SHAR portal says only the gallery is open to the public for now; a rocket garden and a space museum are still being developed. So there is nothing to visit on non-launch days under this scheme.

SDSC SHAR itself is India’s spaceport. Its ISRO profile lists two pads for PSLV and GSLV launches, a separate pad for sounding rockets, plants that make solid propellant boosters, motor test stands, vehicle assembly and the mission control centre. The postal address is Sriharikota Range, PO 524 124.

How to register, step by step

Registration opens only after ISRO fixes a launch date, usually a few days ahead, and closes when the seats are taken. For the PSLV-C54 mission, ISRO opened bookings at 10 am on 20 November 2022 for a launch on 26 November, according to its registration notice. Once a launch is announced, keep an eye on ISRO’s website and official social media accounts.

For the GSLV-F17 launch in September 2026, ETV Bharat described the process like this:

Open lvg.shar.gov.in and pick the registration option at the bottom of the page.
Enter your email address and the captcha, then click the confirmation link that arrives in your inbox.
Choose an individual or institutional visit and fill in the number of people and your travel or vehicle details.
Save or print your registration from the portal’s print page and carry it with your ID.

Accepted ID includes an Aadhaar card, a driving licence or any other government-issued photo ID. Schools and colleges booking as a group must upload a letter from the head of the institution on letterhead, signed and sealed. Only registered visitors are allowed into the centre on launch day.

Getting there from Chennai

The usual route is to reach Sullurpeta, the Andhra Pradesh town that serves as the gateway to the island, and continue by road. A 2019 travel account in Onmanorama put Sullurpeta about 18 km from Sriharikota, reached from Chennai on Nellore-bound buses, with buses, shared autos and jeeps going on to the island. The road runs past Pulicat Lake, and there is a police check-post before the range entrance.

Timing matters more than distance. Many launches happen at night or before dawn: GSLV-F17 lifted off at 2:55 am on 4 September 2026 after a 27-hour countdown, ETV Bharat reported. Public transport onto the island is thin at such hours, so the 2019 account advised reaching Sullurpeta the day before. In that account the gallery opened about two and a half hours before a dawn launch and was crowded well ahead of lift-off.

Buy water and food in Sullurpeta before heading to the island.
If you drive, enter your vehicle details correctly at registration.
Launch times can slip by minutes or days. Recheck on ISRO’s website on the day and keep your return plans flexible.
Find out when return transport leaves before you settle into your seat.

Recent launches and what is next

The SDSC SHAR website lists its latest missions as LVM3-M6 (BlueBird Block-2) on 24 December 2025, PSLV-C62 (EOS-N1) on 12 January 2026 and GSLV-F17 (EOS-05) on 4 September 2026. PSLV-C62 carried 16 satellites but did not reach its intended orbit after a third-stage problem. GSLV-F17 then lifted a 2,367 kg imaging satellite from the Second Launch Pad and placed it in its planned orbit, ETV Bharat reported. As of 18 October 2026 the gallery portal had not opened bookings for another launch.

Launch viewing is separate from study visits. SHAR takes requests from colleges for facility visits by email and lists 08623-226143 and 08623-226136 for those queries; internship and project applications use 08623-226173 and 08623-226174. The centre’s director is S. Muthuchezhian.

Quick answers

Does it cost anything to watch a launch at Sriharikota?

No. SDSC SHAR says viewing from the Launch View Gallery is free, but you must register online for each launch.

When does registration open?

Only after ISRO announces the launch, usually a few days before. The first-phase gallery holds about 5,000 people, so bookings can close quickly.

What ID should I carry?

An Aadhaar card, driving licence or other government photo ID, the same one you entered while registering. Group bookings need a signed and sealed letter from the institution’s head.

How early should I reach?

ISRO does not publish a fixed reporting time on the portal. Plan to be at Sullurpeta the previous evening for a night or dawn launch, and follow any instructions sent with your registration.

Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.