ISRO Launches India’s Heaviest Satellite CMS-03

• 03 Nov 2025

On 2nd November 2025, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its heaviest communication satellite, CMS-03, onboard the LVM3-M5 heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

Key Points

• Heaviest Satellite Launched from Indian Soil: The 4,410 kg CMS-03 satellite marks ISRO’s heaviest payload launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) using an indigenous rocket.
• Launch Vehicle – LVM3-M5: Also known as ‘Bahubali’, this 43.5-metre-tall, three-stage launch vehicle consists of two solid strap-ons (S200), a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25).
• Indigenous Capability: This launch demonstrates India’s growing self-reliance in deploying heavy communication satellites, a task earlier carried out using Arianespace rockets from French Guiana.
• Mission Objective: CMS-03 is a multi-band communication satellite designed to provide connectivity over a wide oceanic region, including the Indian landmass.
• Operational Milestone: This is the fifth operational flight of the LVM3 series. The rocket previously launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first country to land near the lunar South Pole in 2023.
• Performance Capabilities: The LVM3 rocket can launch 4,000 kg payloads to GTO and 8,000 kg payloads to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).