ISRO's major lift: India's biggest communication satellite ever, weighing 4,410 kg, is launched into orbit by the "Bahubali" rocket

According to ISRO, CMS-03 is a multi-band communication satellite that will offer services across the Indian subcontinent as well as a large maritime region.

India successfully launched CMS-03, its biggest communication satellite to date, into its target orbit on Sunday. Earlier in the day, an LVM3-M5 rocket called "Bahubali" took off from Sriharikota carrying the 4,410 kg satellite.

According to ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, the communication satellite was successfully placed in the necessary orbit by the launch vehicle.

According to the ISRO Chairman, the "4410 kg satellite is precisely injected."

Why is it called "Bahubali"?
"Bahubali" means "one with strong arms" in Hindi, implying immense strength and might.

In his speech from the Mission Control Center after the launch, the ISRO Chairman referred to the LVM 3 satellite as "Bahubali," seemingly referring to its capacity for heavy lifting.

The CMS-03 satellite: what is it? Important things to be aware of
The CMS-03 is classified as a multi-band communication satellite by ISRO. It would offer services throughout the Indian mainland as well as a large oceanic area.
The desired Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) was occupied by the satellite.
Additionally, ISRO stated that the GSAT 7 series, which debuted in 2013, will be replaced by the CMS-03.

Before Sunday's flight, the Indian space agency had been using the French company Arianespace's Kourou launch facility in Guiana to launch bigger satellites using Ariane rockets.

GSAT-11, ISRO's heaviest communication satellite, weighed 5,854 kg and was launched from French Guiana on December 5, 2018, aboard an Ariane-5 VA-246 rocket.

With the LVM3-M5, ISRO can launch bigger communication satellites up to 4,000 kg in GTO with complete independence. It is a three-stage launch vehicle that has two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110), and a cryogenic stage (C25).

ISRO scientists frequently refer to LVM3 as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) MkIII.

ISRO scientists have categorized launch vehicles based on a number of factors, including altitude, target orbit, and mission objectives.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), GSLV, and LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-III) are the launchers or launch vehicles that ISRO uses. Since 1999, the space agency has operated launch services from Sriharikota for customer satellites.

Because of its dependability in accomplishing mission success, PSLV has been ISRO's dependable workhorse for scientists. The PSLV is a multipurpose launcher that can lift up to 1,750 kg of cargo.

ISRO relies on its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to deliver satellites up to 500 kg in weight that must be positioned in Low Earth Orbit at a height of roughly 500 km.

According to ISRO, the LVM-3 rockets have improved the capability by delivering payloads of over 4,000 kg, while the GSLV with cryogenic upper stage is utilized to carry bigger satellites weighing around 2,200 kg.

Given that the LVM3 rocket has successfully launched a larger communication satellite from Indian territory, Sunday's mission is significant. According to ISRO, the LVM3-M5 is the fifth flight in operation.

The C25 cryogenic stage was one of the entirely domestic technologies used in the development of the LVM3 vehicle. According to ISRO, it has a history of successful launches, starting with the December 2014 launch of the first development flight of the LVM-3 Crew module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE).

ISRO claims that the GSLV with cryogenic upper stage is used to carry larger satellites weighing about 2,200 kg, while the LVM-3 rockets have increased capability by delivering payloads of over 4,000 kg.

The mission on Sunday is important because the LVM3 rocket has successfully launched a larger communication satellite from Indian territory. The LVM3-M5 is the fifth flight currently in operation, according to ISRO.

One of the fully domestic technologies utilized in the creation of the LVM3 vehicle was the C25 cryogenic stage. ISRO claims that it has a track record of successful launches, beginning with the LVM-3 Crew module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) initial development mission in December 2014.

The last successful launch of the LVM-3 rocket was the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first nation to successfully land close to the lunar South pole in 2023. The weight of the satellite was 3841.4 kg.