The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its heaviest communication satellite, CMS-03, aboard the LVM3-M5 rocket on November 2, 2025. This mission marked the fifth operational flight of the versatile and powerful LVM3 rocket, also known as the GSLV Mk III or ‘Bahubali’, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The CMS-03 satellite, weighing 4,410 kilograms, is the heaviest communication satellite launched directly from Indian soil into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). The satellite is designed to provide multi-band communication services across a vast region including the Indian subcontinent and surrounding oceans.
The LVM3-M5 rocket, standing 43.5 meters tall with a lift-off mass of 642 tonnes, is a three-stage launch vehicle. It features two solid S200 strap-on boosters, a liquid-fueled L110 core stage, and a cryogenic C25 upper stage. The solid boosters carry 204.5 tonnes of solid fuel, while the core stage is powered by 115.9 tonnes of liquid propellants, and the cryogenic stage uses 28.6 tonnes of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
This launch demonstrates ISRO’s growing capability to deploy heavy payloads for both civilian and strategic applications. The rocket’s enhanced performance, which boosted payload capacity by 10 percent, also featured the notable re-ignition of the cryogenic engine post-satellite deployment—a first that enhances the vehicle’s ability to place satellites into multiple orbits.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan expressed pride in the successful mission, noting it as the eighth consecutive triumph for the LVM3 series. The CMS-03 satellite has an operational life of 15 years, carrying cutting-edge technologies that will significantly strengthen India’s communication infrastructure.
Looking ahead, ISRO plans several more launches before the end of the current fiscal year, including the LVM3-M6 mission, the PSLV-C62 and SSLV-L1 customer satellite deployments, a PSLV technology demonstration featuring 34 new technologies, and the first uncrewed mission of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program.
