In a historic milestone for Indian space prowess, ISRO successfully launched its heaviest-ever communication satellite, CMS-03, aboard the indigenous LVM3-M5 heavy-lift rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Sunday evening. Weighing in as the bulkiest payload ever lofted by a domestic launcher into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Indian soil, the 43.5-meter-tall rocket thundered skyward at precisely 5:26 pm, trailing a brilliant orange plume against the dusk.
The 24-hour countdown culminated flawlessly, with the LVM3—M5’s cryogenic upper stage propelling the satellite on a 16–20 minute ascent to an altitude of approximately 180 km, where CMS-03 is slated for separation. This marks the first time India has dispatched such a massive communications spacecraft using solely homegrown technology and territory, eliminating reliance on foreign launch pads for high-mass GTO missions.
CMS-03, a sophisticated multi-band communication satellite, will deliver critical connectivity services across the Indian landmass and vast oceanic regions, enhancing broadband, telephony, and data relay capabilities. Previously, ISRO turned to the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, for heavier payloads—most notably the 5,854 kg GSAT-11 in December 2018. Sunday’s triumph ends that dependency, showcasing the matured might of the LVM3 and India’s end-to-end satellite launch ecosystem.
Also Read: ISRO to Launch Heaviest Indian Communications Satellite CMS-03 on LVM-3 Rocket
The achievement cements ISRO’s status as a global space power, capable of orchestrating complex heavy-lift operations with pinpoint precision. As CMS-03 begins its journey to geostationary orbit, it not only expands India’s communication infrastructure but also signals a new era of strategic autonomy in space technology. With this record-breaking launch, the tricolor now flies higher—literally and figuratively—over the final frontier.
Also Read: ISRO Confirms Gaganyaan 90% Complete, Targets 2027 for India’s First Human Spaceflight