ISRO’s LVM3 M5 launch today: When, where to watch - all about Indian Navy’s heaviest communication satellite

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch Indian Navy’s GSAT 7R (CMS-03) satellite today. The strategic communications satellite will replace the GSAT-7 satellite launched in 2013. The fifth operational satellite in the series onboard LVM3 spacecraft, designed primarily to serve the Indian Navy, will liftoff on 2 November.

Indian Navy in a post on X stated, “#AatmanirbharBharat takes another leap! #ISRO is set to launch GSAT-7R, #IndianNavy’s most advanced indigenously developed communication satellite, today from Sriharikota. A testament to our commitment to safeguarding maritime interests with cutting-edge Indian technology.”

According to Indian Navy, this liftoff is special as the space agency will launch India’s heaviest and most advanced communication satellite to date to the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). "The satellite would strengthen Navy's space-based communications and maritime domain awareness capabilities," Indian Navy in a statement said.

The bulky satellite weighing nearly 4,400 kilograms includes many indigenous state-of-the-art components developed specifically to meet the Indian Navy’s operational requirements. The success of this space mission will make CMS-03 the heaviest communications satellite ever launched by ISRO.

Launch time: 5:26 PM

Describing its upcoming spaceflight mission, ISRO in a statement said, “CMS-03 is a multi-band communication satellite that will provide services over a wide oceanic region including the Indian landmass…. The previous mission of LVM3 launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission, where in, India became the first country to land successfully near the lunar south pole.”