Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) which is operated by Indian Slpace research organisation is located within 16 kms from Thiruvananthapuram; at the outskirts of Kerala. This is one of the richest space ort of India which is closer to the magnetic field of equator that helps in organising space experiments. Located somewhere 832'34" N and 7651'32" E approx, this station was established as the first station which could help India to compete with world in space technology. In order to meet the requirements of the nation as well as other countries Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station has been equipped with some of the latest technologies and three launching pads which was an exception till the age. As such it excelled in establishing the art of rocket designing and propellant theory which is hardly found in other space centres. Before the establishment of Space centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, TERLS was the only asset of India which successfully launched the French Centura, British Skua as well as American Nike Apache and many more.

Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) was mainly established for the purpose of conducting experiments that would provide advanced knowledge in the field of agriculture, telecommunication, weather forecasting as well as other usage of infrared in advanced technology. This station has been established within 220 hectares which includes the headquarters, a control room, laboratory and workshop and three launching pads. While the main office of the scientists is built in a local Catholic church, the cattle shed which is at some distance served as laboratory while the Bishop's house was used as the workshop for the young scientists. Thumba was the first rocket launching centre in India which experienced the launching of sounding rockets.

Facilities in Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station provides number facilities which include infrastructural provisions for propellant testing, rocket designing, rocket motor casting, integration, payload assembly, testing as well as evaluation which can serve for launching sounding rockets from its launch pads. TERLS largely focuses on testing and building of rockets with an elaborate workshop which also launches the rockets as well.

Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station includes some ground infrastructures like a telemeter receiving station which records data collected from the rockets during flight; test stands for testing solid and liquid propellants; components and payloads which are required to administer vibration tests; and amenities to provide best suitable condition s for launching which includes wide space of land.

Major Rockets launched in Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
Thumba was initially used to launch rockets made by UK, USA, and USSR among which French Centura, British Skua and American Nike Apache are some of the prominent ones. Among the Indian Satellites and rockets the Rohini Family was the first one which was launched successfully from this space centre. Along with this Thumba has been popularly known for its Rocket propellant plants (RPP) which received its sanction in December 1969 after successfully launching Indian Centura.

Thus, Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) is one of the pioneers in the field of space technology in India. This marked the beginning of modern day space technology in India. While Thumba has been primarily marked for its workshop, Sriharikota after its establishment is marked for launching of rockets till present.