The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) is a three-stage, medium-to-heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was formerly known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III) during its development phase. The LVM3 was conceived in the early 2000s to solve the problem of India's reliance on foreign launch services for placing heavy communication satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Its design aimed to provide a higher payload capacity than its predecessor, the GSLV Mark II, and achieve complete strategic autonomy for heavy-lift missions.
The vehicle, which has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes and is 43.5 meters tall, is configured with three stages. The first stage consists of two massive S200 solid strap-on boosters, which are among the largest solid boosters in the world and ignite simultaneously at lift-off. The second stage, the L110 liquid core stage, is powered by two Vikas 2 engines and ignites mid-flight, about 113 seconds after lift-off. The third and final stage is the indigenous C25 cryogenic upper stage, which uses the high-thrust CE-20 engine and is crucial for injecting satellites into GTO. The LVM3 is capable of placing up to 4,000 kg into GTO and 10,000 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The LVM3 is connected to several major Indian space initiatives, including the successful lunar missions Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3, and it is the designated launch vehicle for the upcoming Gaganyaan crewed missions under the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The vehicle was officially renamed LVM3 from GSLV Mk III after the commercial OneWeb mission in October 2022 to reflect its distinct identity, as it uses different components like the more powerful CE-20 engine compared to the GSLV Mk II's engine. Looking ahead, ISRO is planning to replace the L110 core stage with a new semi-cryogenic stage, which is expected to increase the payload capacity to GTO from the current 4,200 kg to 5,200 kg. Furthermore, the vehicle is being transitioned to the private sector through NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) to become India's flagship commercial heavy-lift rocket.