GSAT-7R (also known as CMS-03) is a multi-band communication satellite developed by ISRO for the Indian Navy. The satellite is meant to replace the existing and operational GSAT-7.
Satellite The satellite, weighing , is meant to transmit voice, video and data among the naval ships, submarines, aircraft and Maritime Operation Centres of the Indian Navy deployed across the Indian Ocean Region, covering up to 2,000 km from India's coastline.
The satellite employs advanced payloads in multiple frequency bands, including UHF, S, C and Ku bands. It is also equipped with indigenous components like a propulsion tank and collapsible antenna systems. It also has a planned lifespan of 15 years.
The contract for the satellite project was signed on 11 June 2019 between the Indian Navy and the ISRO.
History During the time of contract signing in 2019, the projected launch date of the satellite was expected between 2020 and 2022.By August 2025, the delivery timeline had slipped by few years to November 2025. By 23 October, the launch date was scheduled on 2 November. The vehicle performance of LMV3-M5 had been enhanced by 10% to accommodate the CMS-03 satellite which is heavier than its payload capacity of for GTO orbits.
The satellite assembly and integration with launch vehicle has been completed by early October 2025. The launch vehicle was moved to the launchpad on 26 October and pre-launch procedures were initiated thereafter. It is the heaviest satellite to be launched to the Geostationary Transfer Orbit orbit from India till date. A preflight inspection fixed problems in the fuel control systems that plagued the NVS-02 satellite which used a similar spacecraft bus.
On 2 November 2025, at 5:26 pm IST, ISRO successfully placed the CMS-03 satellite into the desired orbit through the LVM3-M5 rocket from the Second Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The mission featured an experiment, re-ignition of the cryogenic upper stage. The satellite was separated from the launch vehicle at around 16 minutes in sub-GTO orbit. from launch with a perigee of . The upper stage of the rocket was passivated. Given the NORAD ID 66310 and International Designator (COSPAR ID) 2025-249A, the stage re-entered the planet's atmosphere by 12:08 UTC on 30 July 2026 over the Atlantic Ocean.
In September 2026, the Indian Navy issued an expression of interest to the Indian industry to develop a ship-based C- and Ku-band satellite communication terminals, to be known as Rukmini terminals, to communicate through GSAT-7R. The indigenous terminals are expected to replace the Israeli-origin SATCOM terminals which are currently deployed onboard Indian warships and maintained by Bharat Electronics. The older terminals were procured 10-12 years ago.
See also
GSAT-7A GSAT Indian National Satellite System List of Indian satellites
References