Representational.
Sriharikota/Andhra Pradesh: An ISRO heavylift rocket with communication satellite CMS-03, the 'heaviest' to be carried by an Indian launch vehicle and into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), lifted off from the spaceport here on Sunday, PTI reported.
After the 24-hour countdown concluded, the 43.5 metre tall rocket soared into the skies at the prefixed time of 5.26 pm from the second launch pad at this spaceport, about 135 km from Chennai, emanating bright orange coloured fumes on its tail.
The satellite, riding piggyback on the LVM3-M5 rocket, after a flight journey of about 16-20 minutes, is expected to be separated upon reaching an altitude of about 180 km, ISRO said.
The CMS-03 is a multi-band communication satellite that would provide services over a wide oceanic region, including the Indian landmass, ISRO said.
Weighing about 4,410 kg, CMS-03 will be the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), the space agency said. The satellite’s carrier LVM3-M5 rocket is popularly dubbed ‘Bahubali’ for its heavy-lift capability.
ISRO described the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) as its new heavy-lift launch vehicle, designed to place 4,000 kg-class spacecraft in GTO in a cost-effective manner. The three-stage rocket consists of two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25) — a combination that gives India full self-reliance in launching heavy communication satellites.
The Indian space agency has been utilising the Kourou launch base in French Guiana for launching heavier satellites. In December 2018, ISRO successfully launched the communication satellite GSAT-11, weighing about 5,854 kg and the heaviest spacecraft built by the space agency, from French Guiana.