Isro LVM3 M5 launch live updates: 'LVM3 once again brings glory to India,’ says Isro Chairman Dr V Narayanan

The Indian Navy has said that the newly launched CMS-03 satellite will significantly enhance its space-based communication and maritime domain awareness capabilities.

“This satellite is India’s heaviest communication satellite to date, weighing over 4,400 kg, and includes several indigenous, state-of-the-art components developed specifically to meet the Navy’s operational requirements,” the Navy said in a statement.

The upgrade is expected to strengthen real-time connectivity across land and oceanic regions, supporting strategic operations.

The Indian Space Research Organisation is set for a busy schedule, aiming for seven launches in the current financial year. Isro chairman said the next major mission, another LVM3 launch, is already in full swing and is being targeted for the second week of December.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Sunday successfully launched CMS-03, the heaviest communication satellite to be launched from India, onboard its LVM3-M5 (GSLV-MkIII) heavy-lift rocket from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The mission marks the fifth operational flight of the LVM3 vehicle. The previous mission using the rocket was Chandrayaan-3 on July 14, 2023.Around 16minutes after liftoff, the rocket with a total lift off mass of 642 tonnes and a height of 43.5 metres, placed the 4410-kg CMS-03 satellite into a Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Isro chairman Dr V Narayanan and a team of scientists visited the Tirumala temple on Saturday to offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara ahead of the CMS-03 satellite launch.

The team carried a replica model of the CMS-03 satellite and performed rituals during the VIP break darshan slot. Speaking to reporters, Narayanan said it is a customary practice for Isro officials to seek Lord Balaji’s blessings before every launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

He confirmed that all arrangements for the launch have been completed.

As countdown clocks tick down at Sriharikota, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to launch its heaviest communication satellite — CMS-03, also known as GSAT-7R — aboard the LVM3 rocket this evening at 5:26 PM.

The launch will take place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh. The satellite, designed as a multi-band military communication system, is expected to strengthen secure voice, data, and video links for the Indian Navy and other strategic users.

The CMS-03 will also enhance digital connectivity across remote regions and oceanic zones, ensuring improved communication coverage beyond the Indian mainland.

The GSAT-7R will succeed GSAT-7 ‘Rukmini’, which was launched in 2013 as the Navy’s first dedicated communication satellite. The new satellite brings upgraded multi-band transponders operating across C, extended C, and Ku bands, expanding the Navy’s secure data and surveillance coverage over critical sea lanes and coastal regions.

Isro is gearing up to launch the Indian Navy’s GSAT-7R (CMS-03) communication satellite today.

Weighing around 4,400 kg, GSAT-7R will be India’s heaviest indigenous communication satellite, designed to strengthen the Navy’s maritime communication and surveillance network across the Indian Ocean Region.

The satellite, equipped with multi-band transponders, will enable secure, high-capacity voice, data, and video connectivity between ships, aircraft, submarines, and operations centres.

Today’s mission marks another milestone for LVM3, the heavy-lift launcher that made history with the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing in 2023. The rocket can carry 4,000 kg payloads to GTO and 8,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit, making it Isro’s workhorse for deep space and high-capacity missions.

Isro described CMS-03 as a multi-band communication satellite that will offer coverage over the Indian landmass and adjoining ocean regions. While there are unconfirmed reports suggesting possible defence applications, Isro has not officially commented on any military use.

Standing 43.5 metres tall, the LVM3-M5 rocket has been fully integrated with the CMS-03 satellite and moved to the second launch pad at Sriharikota. The three-stage vehicle with two solid boosters (S200), a liquid core (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25) is Isro’s most powerful launcher yet.

The CMS-03 satellite, weighing 4,410 kg, will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). It is the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil using an Indian rocket. Earlier, Isro relied on French Arianespace’s Ariane-5 rockets for heavy payloads. With this mission, India takes another step towards complete self-reliance in heavy-lift launches.

Isro is preparing to launch its heaviest communication satellite, CMS-03, onboard the LVM3-M5 (Bahubali) rocket from Sriharikota today at 5:26 PM (IST). The 24-hour countdown that began Saturday evening is “progressing smoothly,” the agency confirmed. This will be the fifth operational flight of LVM3, the same rocket that carried Chandrayaan-3 to the Moon.