Countdown Begins: ISRO Shares Video Of Final Preparations Before LVM3M5 Launch

ISRO’s communication satellite CMS-03 to be launched on Sunday.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its over 4,000 kg communication satellite CMS-03 from the spaceport on Sunday, November 2. The satellite, weighing approximately 4,410 kg, will be the heaviest launched from Indian soil into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), according to the space agency.

It will be carried by the LVM3-M5 rocket, known as ‘Bahubali’ for its heavy-lift capability. The launch vehicle has been fully assembled and integrated with the spacecraft and moved to the second launch pad for pre-launch operations, ISRO said on Saturday.

The 43.5 metre tall rocket, nicknamed ‘Bahubali’ for its ability to carry heavier payloads up to 4,000 kg, is scheduled for liftoff at 5:26 pm on November 2.

ISRO Shares Video Ahead Of Launch

LVM3- (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) is ISRO’s new heavy-lift launch vehicle designed to place 4,000 kg spacecraft in GTO cost-effectively, ISRO stated.

This three-stage launch vehicle includes two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110), and a cryogenic stage (C25), granting ISRO complete self-reliance in launching heavier communication satellites up to 4,000 kg in GTO.

The LVM3- is also referred to by ISRO scientists as Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) MkIII.

The LVM3-M5 marks the fifth operational flight, according to ISRO.

Previously, ISRO launched its heaviest communication satellite, GSAT-11, on December 5, 2018, from the Kourou launch base in French Guiana using the Ariane-5 VA-246 rocket. GSAT-11 weighs about 5,854 kg and remains the heaviest satellite built by ISRO.

Sunday’s mission objective is that the CMS-03, a multi-band communication satellite, will provide services over a wide oceanic region including the Indian landmass, ISRO said.

The preceding mission of the LVM-3 rocket was the successful Chandrayaan-3 launch, where India became the first country to land near the lunar South pole in 2023.

The LVM3- rocket can carry payloads of up to 4,000 kg to GTO and up to 8,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit, thanks to its powerful cryogenic stage.

Two S200 solid rocket boosters located on the sides of the rocket provide the necessary thrust for liftoff. These boosters were developed at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. The third stage, L110 Liquid Stage, is powered by two Vikas engines designed and developed at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.