LVM3-M5

♦ India’s space agency ISRO successfully launched the LVM3-M5 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on 2 November 2025.

♦ The rocket carried CMS-03, weighing about 4,410 kilograms, the country’s heaviest communication satellite ever sent to space.

♦ It marked the fifth operational flight of the LVM3 launcher.

♦ The satellite will provide multi-band communication services across India and nearby ocean regions.

♦ It will boost secure data, voice, and video links for both civilian and strategic use.

♦ The CMS-03, a multiband communication satellite placed in the geosynchronous orbit from where it would appear stationary relative to Earth, is now the most advanced satellite serving the needs of the Indian Navy.

♦ Also known as the GSAT-7R, the CMS-03 is the replacement for GSAT-7 satellite, launched in 2013 on Ariane-5 rocket, which has reached the end of its lifespan.

♦ ISRO has launched a satellite that was heavier than this.

♦ The GSAT-11 launched in 2018 weighed over 5,800 kg but had used the European Ariane-5 rocket. 

Science & Technology