Bengaluru: Planetarium screens launch of India’s heaviest communication satellite

Bengaluru: The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium screened the launch of CMS-03, the heaviest satellite to be launched from Indian soil into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), on Sunday evening.

The LVM3-M5 rocket, nicknamed ‘Bahubali’ for its heavy-lift capability, carried the 4,410-kg communication satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, near Chennai.

Science enthusiasts, including many children, attended the screening, where planetarium director Dr BR Guruprasad provided live commentary in English and Kannada to help the public understand the technical aspects of the mission.

“This launch is a fantastic example of a self-reliant India and yet another successful launch of a communication satellite. It is also the heaviest satellite launched by our country,” Dr Guruprasad told DH.

“Young girls were really enthusiastic when we spoke about female engineers involved in the project,” he added.