ISRO's LVM3-M5 launches CMS-03 (GSAT-7R) for the Navy, heaviest communication satellite launched to GTO from Indian soil
ISRO's LVM3-M5 rocket launched the CMS-03 (GSAT-7R) communication satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on 2 November 2025, the heaviest communication satellite launched to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Indian soil.
Summary
The LVM3-M5 launch from Sriharikota on 2 November 2025 placed CMS-03, weighing about 4,410 kg, into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit in a 'perfect injection', according to ISRO. It was the fifth operational flight of LVM3 and lifted off from the Second Launch Pad; the previous LVM3 mission had launched Chandrayaan-3. CMS-03, also called GSAT-7R, is an indigenously designed multi-band satellite for the Indian Navy that will provide telecommunication coverage across the Indian Ocean Region, linking ships, aircraft, submarines and Maritime Operations Centres.
Key facts
- Date/place
- 2 Nov 2025, Second Launch Pad, SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota
- Rocket
- LVM3-M5 (5th operational flight of LVM3)
- Satellite
- CMS-03 / GSAT-7R, about 4,410 kg
- Orbit
- Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)
- User
- Indian Navy; coverage across the Indian Ocean Region
- Previous LVM3 mission
- Chandrayaan-3
Practice MCQs 5 questions
What was the approximate mass of the CMS-03 communication satellite launched by ISRO on 2 November 2025?
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Correct answer: C — 4,410 kg
CMS-03, weighing about 4,410 kg, is the heaviest communication satellite launched to GTO from Indian soil.
Which launch vehicle placed CMS-03 into orbit on 2 November 2025?
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Correct answer: A — LVM3-M5
CMS-03 was launched on LVM3-M5, the fifth operational flight of LVM3, from the Second Launch Pad at Sriharikota.
According to ISRO, which mission had been launched by LVM3 on its flight immediately before LVM3-M5 (CMS-03)?
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Correct answer: D — Chandrayaan-3
ISRO noted that the previous mission of LVM3 launched Chandrayaan-3.
The CMS-03 satellite, also called GSAT-7R, has been built primarily for which user?
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Correct answer: B — Indian Navy
GSAT-7R (CMS-03) is the Indian Navy's most advanced communication satellite, linking ships, aircraft, submarines and Maritime Operations Centres.
ISRO described CMS-03, launched on 2 November 2025, as the heaviest communication satellite to be:
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Correct answer: B — Launched to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Indian soil
ISRO's mission page says CMS-03, weighing about 4,400 kg, is the heaviest communication satellite launched to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Indian soil.