ISRO launch in numbers: Key features of CMS-03 satellite, ‘Bahubali’ rocket
ISRO officials on Sunday said that the CMS-03 satellite is set to be launched from Sriharikota.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a communication satellite onboard an Indian rocket – the heavylift LVM3M5 vehicle, also known as ‘Bahubali’ – on Sunday evening from Sriharikota.
The space agency had been earlier utilising launch vehicles provided by France-headquartered Arianespace for launching heavy satellites, PTI news agency reported.
ISRO rocket launch: Key features of CMS-03, LVM3-M5 in numbers
Lift-off time
ISRO started a 24-hour countdown for the launch, which started on Saturday at 5.26 pm. On Sunday, the space agency said the countdown was progressing smoothly, and eventually the satellite was launched.
In its latest update, ISRO said that the launch procedures would begin from 4.56 pm IST on Sunday, with the lift-off scheduled for 5.26 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Weight of the satellite
The communication satellite CMS-03 weighs 4,410 kg, and is the heaviest to be launched from Indian soil and into a GTO, ISRO said. It is also ISRO's heaviest satellite to be launched by a home made rocket.
‘Bahubali’ rocket size
The CMS-03 will be launched aboard the LVM3-M5 ‘Bahubali’ rocket, which is 43.5 metre tall, PTI reported. It is dubbed as the ‘Bahubali’ for its heavylift capabilities, and can launch heavier communication satellites weighing up to 4,000 kg in GTO. It is also termed as Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk III by the ISRO scientists. This mission is LVM3's fifth operational flight, ISRO said.
LVM3's stages
The LVM3 is a three-stage launch vehicle including two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a cryogenic stage (C25) and a liquid propellant core stage (L110). The S200s on both sides give it the thrust for lift-off.
Apart from carrying payload weighing 4,000 kg, the ‘Bahubali’ LVM3 can also take Low Earth Orbit payloads of 8,000 kg, owing to its cryogenic stage.
