ISRO's LVM3 Set for Commercial Launch of US Communication Satellite

ISRO is preparing for a key commercial milestone: launching a U.S. communication satellite on its heavy‑lift LVM3 rocket next month.

On Monday, Chairman V. Narayan declared the plan in the 68th Annual Day of the Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET) in Hyderabad.

Narayanan told them that it is yet to be determined when the exact launch date would take place, but the mission will occur next month. It is a commercial communication satellite which ISRO will launch to the orbit with the LVM3, a move that underlines increasing launch-vehicle capabilities by India.

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He stressed the fact that the space program of India is growing at a fast pace under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Presently, the number of satellites operated in the orbit is 57 but ISRO intends to expand it to 3x in the next three years to reinforce national services and applications in sectors. Industry wise, the proposed LVM3 business trip strengthens the rising India in the world launch market.

The heavy-lift vehicle which has been used in missions like Chandrayaan-3 is gradually gaining popularity as a reliable option by international clients. Narayanan indicated that the nation was on the way to a future where its space competencies will rank side by side to those of the world leaders. In retrospect of the Indian space program which started in the early years he said, by 2040 we will be the same space-carrying country as any other country in terms of launches, satellites, communications, applications, and capabilities.