ISRO to launch satellite for Indian Navy on November 2; Gaganyaan mission on track: ISRO chairman

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the CMS-03 military communication satellite developed for the Indian Navy on November 2, A Rajarajan, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), said on Thursday in Bengaluru.

The 2,650 kg satellite is funded by the ministry of defence and will be placed in geostationary orbit aboard the LVM-3 launch vehicle. With a mission life of seven years, the satellite will provide critical data to protect India’s maritime areas. Some of the functions include surveillance, reconnaissance, navigation, and weather monitoring.

The director was speaking on the sidelines of the curtain raiser briefing on the Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2025.


Speaking on the preparations related to India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gangayaan, V Narayanan, ISRO chairman, said that about 90% of the work is completed. “Key technology developments are in place, the rocket has been human-rated, the orbital module and environmental control and safety systems are ready, along with the crew escape system and other human-centric technologies,” the chairman added.

ISRO will conduct three uncrewed missions to test systems before sending three astronauts to low-earth orbit for three days in 2027. Vyommitra, a semi-humanoid robot, will fly on the first and third uncrewed missions to test the spacecraft's systems. Narayanan reiterated that the safety of the selected astronauts is paramount.

On the need for India to have stronger surveillance systems in space, the ISRO chairman said that currently India has 57 satellites in space and the space agency aims to grow the number exponentially. "In another three to four years, this number will triple,” Narayanan said.

He also spoke about the NavIC, India's indigenous satellite navigation system. Currently, India has four satellites and needs three more to complete the constellation. “We are currently developing three more satellites, which will be launchedin the next 18 months,” the chairman shared.

The space agency chairman said the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), the first joint earth-observing satellite mission between India and the US, launched in July this year, remains healthy, “with payloads from both countries working well.”