ISRO set to launch 'Bahubali’ LVM3-M5 rocket to space on Sunday: All you need to know

The satellite, weighing about 4,410 kg, will be the heaviest to be launched from Indian soil and into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch its LVM3-M5 rocket, famously dubbed 'Bahubali', which is preparing to carry the CMS-03 communication satellite, the heaviest ever to be launched from Indian soil into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

The 43.5-metre-tall Bahubali rocket has already been moved to the second launch pad.(@isro)

The Bengaluru-headquartered space agency has scheduled the liftoff at 5:26 pm on November 2.

The satellite, weighing about 4,410 kg, will be the heaviest to be launched from Indian soil and into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), the space agency said. The satellite will travel on board a LVM3-M5 rocket, dubbed 'Bahubali' for its heavy-lift capability.

The 43.5-metre-tall Bahubali rocket has already been moved to the second launch pad at the spaceport for pre-launch preparations.

What is LVM3?

LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) is the new heavy-lift launch vehicle of ISRO, used for placing a 4,000 kg spacecraft in GTO in a cost-effective manner, ISRO said.

This three-stage launch vehicle, featuring two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110), and a cryogenic stage (C25), provides ISRO with full self-reliance in launching heavier communication satellites weighing up to 4,000 kg in GTO.

LVM3- is also termed by ISRO scientists as Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) MkIII. The LVM3-M5 is the fifth operational flight, ISRO said.

The rocket is capable of carrying a payload to GTO weighing 4,000 kg and for Low Earth Orbit payloads of 8,000 kg with its powerful cryogenic stage.

While ISRO previously launched its heaviest satellite, GSAT-11 (5,854 kg), from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018, CMS-03 will be the heaviest communication satellite launched from Indian soil, underscoring India's growing capability in indigenous launch vehicle development.

The two S200 solid rocket boosters located on the sides of the rocket provide the thrust required for liftoff. The S200 boosters are developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

The third stage is the L110 Liquid Stage and is powered by two Vikas engines designed and developed at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.