Overview
- Liftoff occurred at 5:26 pm IST from Sriharikota, and separation followed about 16 minutes later into the targeted transfer path.
- At roughly 4,410 kg, CMS-03 is the heaviest communication satellite launched from Indian soil to a transfer orbit.
- The fifth operational LVM3 flight used S200 boosters, an L110 core and a C25 cryogenic stage to release the satellite at about 179–180 km altitude and near 10 km/s.
- ISRO says CMS-03 will raise and circularize its orbit over several days using its Liquid Apogee Motor before weeks of in-orbit testing.
- Built with multi-band payloads for secure voice, data and video, the Navy-focused satellite expands maritime coverage and underscores growing self-reliance after earlier heavy satellites flew on foreign rockets.