India will launch CMS-03 (GSAT-7R) on Nov. 2 atop an LVM3 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, with live streams starting 30 minutes before liftoff. The 9,700 lb (4,400 kg) satellite is scheduled to be deployed to geostationary transfer orbit ~16 minutes after launch and will later reach geostationary orbit at 22,236 miles (35,786 km). CMS-03 will replace GSAT-7 (2013) and provide secure, multi-band, real-time communications for naval operations, air defence and strategic command. This will be the eighth LVM3 flight; the 143-ft (43.5 m) launcher last flew in July 2023 and can lift ~17,600 lb (8,000 kg) to LEO.
Watch India’s Most Powerful Rocket Launch the CMS-03 (GSAT-7R) Naval Communications Satellite — Live
India will launch CMS-03 (GSAT-7R) on Nov. 2 atop an LVM3 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, with live streams starting 30 minutes before liftoff. The 9,700 lb (4,400 kg) satellite is scheduled to be deployed to geostationary transfer orbit ~16 minutes after launch and will later reach geostationary orbit at 22,236 miles (35,786 km). CMS-03 will replace GSAT-7 (2013) and provide secure, multi-band, real-time communications for naval operations, air defence and strategic command. This will be the eighth LVM3 flight; the 143-ft (43.5 m) launcher last flew in July 2023 and can lift ~17,600 lb (8,000 kg) to LEO.
18:37, 02.11.2025Security
India to launch CMS-03 (GSAT-7R) on LVM3 — live coverage available
India is scheduled to launch a large, advanced communications satellite for its navy early Sunday morning, Nov. 2. The spacecraft, designated CMS-03 (also known as GSAT-7R), is set to lift off on a Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 6:56 a.m. EDT (1056 GMT; 5:26 p.m. IST).
Live coverage will be provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and streamed on Space.com; broadcasts begin roughly 30 minutes before liftoff. Viewers should tune in to either ISRO’s feed or the Space.com stream to follow the countdown and ascent.
If the mission proceeds as planned, the LVM3 will place the 9,700-pound (4,400-kilogram) CMS-03 into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) about 16 minutes after liftoff. ISRO says this will be the heaviest communications satellite India has launched to GTO from its own territory.
From GTO, CMS-03 will raise itself to geostationary orbit — a circular path roughly 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth where an object orbits in sync with the planet’s rotation and appears fixed over a single point. Geostationary slots are widely used for communications and monitoring because they provide continuous coverage of a region.
"With upgraded payloads, GSAT-7R or CMS-03 is designed to expand secure, multi-band communications for the Navy’s growing blue-water operations," — Times of India.
CMS-03 will succeed GSAT-7 (launched in 2013) and act as a key node for the Indian Navy’s real-time communications, air-defence coordination and strategic command-and-control across broad oceanic and terrestrial regions.
Sunday’s flight will be the eighth mission for the LVM3, which first flew in December 2014 and most recently launched India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission in July 2023. The LVM3 stands 143 feet (43.5 meters) tall and, according to ISRO, can carry about 17,600 pounds (8,000 kilograms) to low-Earth orbit, making it India’s most powerful launcher.
How to watch: Tune in to ISRO’s official webcast or the Space.com live stream beginning ~30 minutes before liftoff to watch the countdown and ascent in real time.