The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the CMS-03 communication satellite aboard the LVM3 rocket on 02 November 2025 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The mission, designated LVM3-M5, was the fifth operational flight of India’s heavy-lift launch vehicle and placed the 4,410-kilogram satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
The CMS-03 satellite is designed to provide multi-band communication services across a wide region encompassing the Indian landmass and the Indian Ocean. It will support both civilian and strategic applications, enhancing connectivity, telecommunication, and secure data transmission capabilities. The satellite is built on ISRO’s high-throughput communication satellite platform, incorporating a range of indigenous components and design systems to enable high-bandwidth, reliable communication links.
The launch represents a key advancement for India’s domestic space manufacturing sector, demonstrating technological maturity and growing self-reliance. The mission incorporated complex propulsion systems, precision integration processes, and collaboration with Indian industrial partners.
The LVM3 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III) stands about 43.5 metres tall with a liftoff mass of approximately 642 tonnes. It comprises two S200 solid rocket boosters, a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25), protected by a five-metre diameter payload fairing. The S200 boosters, among the largest of their kind, use 204.5 tonnes of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB)-based solid propellant each and are produced at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The L110 core stage operates on 115.9 tonnes of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UH25) and nitrogen tetroxide (N₂O₄) liquid propellants, powered by indigenously developed Vikas engines. The upper C25 stage employs a CE-20 cryogenic engine using 28.6 tonnes of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, developed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.
The CMS-03 satellite assembly included key contributions from Indian industry. Ananth Technologies supplied several critical systems such as electronics, navigation components, actuator assemblies, and power supply modules used in both the launcher and satellite. These contributions reflect the increasing depth of private-sector participation in India’s space manufacturing ecosystem.
Integration of the launch vehicle and the satellite took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, where advanced ground infrastructure supported clean-room integration, fueling, stage stacking, and final assembly. The integrated vehicle was rolled out to the launch pad on 26 October 2025. Through design refinement and production enhancements, the LVM3 achieved roughly 10 percent higher payload performance compared to earlier missions.
The CMS-03 mission underscores India’s shift towards indigenous solutions for heavy satellite launches. Earlier high-mass communication satellites were launched aboard foreign launch vehicles such as Arianespace’s Ariane series. With the LVM3 now capable of handling these payloads, India continues to strengthen its independent launch capability and reinforce its position in advanced space manufacturing.
The Indian Space Research Organisation, headquartered in Bengaluru, is responsible for India’s space research, satellite development, and launch vehicle programmes supporting communication, navigation, remote sensing, and planetary exploration.