GSAT-7R/CMS-03 Satellite 

Why in the News?

ISRO Successfully Launches India’s Heaviest Communication Satellite GSAT-7R from Indian soil.

UPSC Relevance 

Prelims, Latest space technologies and Related developments

PYQ

Consider the following Space missions :

I. Axiom-4

II. SpaDeX

III. Gaganyaan

How many of the space missions given above encourage and support micro-gravity research?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All the three

(d) None

Launch Details

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the Indian Navy’s advanced communication satellite, GSAT-7R (also known as CMS-03), on Sunday.
• The launch took place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at about 5:26 p.m.
• It was launched aboard ISRO’s most powerful launch vehicle, the LVM3 (M5 mission).

Satellite Significance & Specifications

• Weighing approximately 4,400 kg (or 4,410 kg), it is the heaviest Indian-built communication satellite launched from Indian soil to date.
• The previous heavier satellite (GSAT-11, 5,800 kg) was launched using a European Ariane-5 rocket.
• Its launch demonstrates the heavy-lift capability of the LVM3 rocket, the same vehicle used for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
• The satellite was successfully placed into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Purpose and Benefits for the Indian Navy

• It is the most advanced satellite serving the needs of the Indian Navy, replacing the GSAT-7 satellite launched in 2013.
• It will provide robust, secure telecommunication coverage across the Indian Ocean Region.
• The satellite will augment the Navy’s space-based communications and maritime domain awareness capabilities.
• Its advanced payload supports voice, data, and video links across multiple bands, ensuring seamless connectivity between Navy ships, submarines, aircraft, and Maritime Operations Centres.

Technological Milestones & Future Implications

• The launch highlights India’s growing self-reliance (“Atmanirbhar Bharat”) and technological independence in space.
• The LVM3 rocket’s performance was improved, and its payload capacity was enhanced by 10% for this mission.
• A key experiment was successful: the re-ignition of the thrust chamber of the indigenous C25 cryogenic stage after injecting the satellite, which will enable flexibility for placing multiple satellites in various orbits in the future.
• This success is an important step toward reducing foreign dependence and supporting future missions like Gaganyaan and the Bharat Antariksh Station, which require heavy-lift capability.