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.
Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, one of the architects of the modern Indian space program and a stalwart of Indian science, passed away on 24 April 2025 at the age of 84.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his tributes on X: "Two days ago, we lost the country’s great scientist, Dr. K. Kasturirangan ji. His contribution in lending newer heights to science, education, and India’s Space Program shall always be remembered. ISRO attained a new identity under his leadership."