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India. Indian Navy

Isro Launches Heaviest Communication Satellite Gsat-7R for Indian Navy

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) launched the heaviest communication satellite, CMS-03 or Gsat-7R, into space on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in India's space program. Weighing 4,410kg, the satellite is designed to provide robust telecommunication coverage across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for the Indian Navy. The launch was a culmination of efforts by Isro to enhance the country's maritime capabilities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Gsat-7R is the heaviest communication satellite launched from Indian soil, weighing 4,410kg.
  • The satellite is designed to replace Gsat-7 (Rukmini), which was launched in 2013, and will provide services across a wide oceanic region, including the Indian landmass.
  • The Gsat-7R includes many indigenous state-of-the-art components developed specifically to meet the Indian Navy's operational requirements.
  • The satellite is expected to significantly enhance connectivity with high-capacity bandwidth, enabling seamless and secure communication links between ships, aircraft, submarines, and Maritime Operations Centres.
  • The successful launch of the Gsat-7R marks the fifth operational flight of Isro's LVM3 rocket.
  • The mission also saw a new in-orbit experiment - a successful re-ignition of the cryogenic upper stage.

Statistics:

  • The Gsat-7R is 4,410kg heavy, making it the heaviest communication satellite launched from Indian soil.
  • The satellite was launched onboard Isro's LVM3-M5 rocket from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan space centre, Sriharikota.
  • The mission achieved a sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (sub-GTO) with a perigee of 26,700km, approximately 16 minutes after the rocket's lift-off.

Sources:

  • "Isro on Sunday launched the 4,410kg CMS-03 or the Gsat-7R, a communication satellite that will enhance telecommunication coverage across the strategic Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for the Indian Navy."

- Source: The Times of India

  • "The mission also saw a new in-orbit experiment - a successful re-ignition of the cryogenic upper stage."

- Source: The Times of India

  • "Isro had launched another satellite from the same family - Gsat-7A - for the Indian Air Force."

- Source: The Times of India

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