The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the CMS-03 communication satellite using its LVM3 rocket on November 2, 2025, marking the vehicle’s fifth operational mission. The CMS-03 is a multi-band communication satellite designed to provide services across a broad oceanic region, including the Indian subcontinent.

According to ISRO, CMS-03, weighing about 4,400 kilograms, will be the heaviest communication satellite ever launched from Indian soil to the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The LVM3, which previously launched Chandrayaan-3, has been fully assembled and integrated with the satellite. The launch vehicle was moved to the launch pad on October 26, 2025, for final pre-launch checks.

ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission made India the first nation to achieve a successful landing near the lunar south pole, showcasing the country’s growing space capabilities. Building on that success, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced in September that the agency is now working on Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5, with long-term plans to position a space station module in orbit by 2035. The Chandrayaan-4 mission will focus on Venus exploration.

In parallel, India is preparing for the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send a three-member crew into a 400 km orbit for three days before safely returning to Earth with a splashdown in Indian waters. Following Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s successful Axiom-4 mission with NASA, ISRO’s upcoming projects highlight India’s steady progress toward self-reliance and leadership in global space exploration.