ISRO: A launchpad for bigger lift-offs

The successful launch of GSAT-7R (CMS-03) – the heaviest-ever communication satellite from India – on Sunday marks the country’s confident entry into a new territory of space exploration. It is a strong demonstration by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) of its prowess to undertake complex future missions, including Gaganyaan, the space agency’s ambitious human spaceflight programme,and the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, India’s proposed space-based facility. The 4,410-kg satellite was indigenously designed and developed, and put into space by the country’s most powerful launch vehicle, the LVM-3, on its fifth operational flight. The launcher was last used in the 2023 Chandrayaan-3 mission, which saw India become the first country to land near the south pole of the moon. ISRO modified the vehicle to enhance its payload capability by 10%; the vehicle’s cryogenic upper stage was also upgraded for the mission. It is the first time ISRO has put a communication satellite weighing over 4,000 kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Indian soil. ISRO noted after the launch that India’s space sector is “soaring high” and bringing valuable services to the user community.

The multi-band communication satellite comes with immense strategic value – it is designed to provide services over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). GSAT-7R promises to equip the Indian Navy with stronger space-based communications and maritime domain awareness. With state-of-the-art indigenous components, the satellite is expected to provide seamless connectivity between the Navy’s ships, submarines, aircraft, and Maritime Operations Centres. The significance of such communication is self-evident at a time when the IOR is becoming increasingly critical to India’s national security landscape. The Navy said the satellite was a testament to the nation’s pursuit of self-reliance.

The launch was also used for the in-orbit test of the indigenously developed C25 cryogenic stage. ISRO has achieved first-time success in the operation and gained useful data on engine performance, stability, and control in microgravity conditions. It has now demonstrated expertise in cryogenic propulsion, which will enable it to undertake advanced orbital missions. The success will enhance the precision and efficiency of its missions and boost future capabilities to place multiple satellites into orbit. The space agency has planned a series of launches in the next six months; it is preparing for the first unmanned mission under the Gaganyaan programme and to put a robotic astronaut in space. The country’s vision for space exploration is promising. In the GSAT-7R launch, it has set the tone for what could be a packed calendar.