The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved another leap in its quest for self-reliance in space, successfully launching the heaviest communication satellite ever lifted from Indian soil using its formidable heavy-lift rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3). Affectionately nicknamed ‘Bahubali’ for its sheer power, the LVM3-M5 mission placed the critical 4,410 kg CMS-03 spacecraft into a precise Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) on Sunday, November 2, 2025, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Madhura Joglekar specializes in science and medical writing. Her repertoire includes blogs, web content and popular articles based on scientific research. She was a Ramaseshan Fellow for science writing at the Current Science journal. She is passionate about popularizing science through the written word.