The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved another major milestone on November 2, 2025, as it launched the Indian Navy’s advanced communication satellite GSAT-7R (CMS-03) aboard its powerful LVM3-M5 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The mission marked a defining step forward in India’s space and defense collaboration, strengthening the country’s maritime communication network.
Weighing about 4,400 kilograms, GSAT-7R is India’s heaviest communication satellite ever launched from home soil. The lift-off occurred at 5:26 p.m. IST, and shortly after, mission control confirmed the satellite’s successful placement into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Once in orbit, the satellite will use its onboard propulsion system to move into its final operational position.
Designed and developed indigenously, GSAT-7R will provide secure and high-capacity telecommunication coverage across the Indian Ocean Region. The satellite carries advanced transponders capable of supporting voice, video, and data links across multiple communication bands. This will allow real-time connectivity between Indian Navy’s ships, submarines, aircraft, and Maritime Operations Centres, ensuring seamless communication during missions.
The Navy stated that the successful launch of GSAT-7R reinforces India’s self-reliance in defense space capabilities under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. With this new asset, naval forces can operate with greater situational awareness and operational security in complex maritime environments.
The launch also served a dual purpose — proving the LVM3 rocket’s capacity to routinely carry four-tonne-plus satellites to GTO, thereby minimizing India’s reliance on foreign launchers. This successful deployment contributes directly to ISRO’s upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, which plans to use an evolved version of the LVM3 vehicle.
Following the launch, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan expressed pride in the organization’s achievement, emphasizing that India’s space sector continues to expand its global footprint. “ISRO has successfully launched the heaviest GEO communication satellite from Indian soil,” he wrote on X. “Our space technology is reaching new heights, serving both national security and civilian needs.”
The GSAT-7R mission stands as a symbol of India’s growing technological strength, bridging space innovation and national defense — and marking another leap in the country’s journey toward complete space autonomy.
