Sriharikota, November 1: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday began the countdown for the launch of its heaviest military communication satellite, CMS-03, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The launch, scheduled for November 2, will mark a key milestone in India’s space-based defence communications capability.
CMS-03, weighing 4,400 kg, will lift off onboard LVM3-M5, the same heavy-lift vehicle that successfully carried the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Once launched, the satellite will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) to provide secure, high-capacity communication for the Indian Navy and other strategic users.
“Countdown Commences! Final preparations complete and the countdown for #LVM3M5 has officially begun at SDSC-SHAR,” ISRO posted on X, adding that all systems were ‘GO’ for liftoff.
Built primarily for the Indian Navy, CMS-03—also referred to as GSAT-7R—will replace the decade-old GSAT-7 launched in 2013. The new satellite features multi-band communication capability operating in C, Extended C, and Ku bands, enabling robust voice, data, and video links across vast oceanic and terrestrial regions.
The ₹1,589-crore project, signed between ISRO and the Navy in June 2019, will provide sharper bandwidth, improved connectivity, and secure digital communication across naval ships, aircraft, and shore installations.
This will be the eighth flight of LVM3 and its fifth operational mission, continuing ISRO’s record of successful launches with the rocket that has become India’s workhorse for heavy payloads.
With CMS-03, India aims to further strengthen its strategic communication infrastructure, ensuring reliable and encrypted links vital for defence operations and maritime surveillance.
