New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- ISRO said on Saturday that the 24-hour countdown for the launch of the CMS-03 communication satellite, weighing over 4,000 kg, began at the spaceport on Saturday.

At around 4,410 kg, CMS-03 will be the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), the space agency said. The satellite will be carried by the LVM3-M5 rocket, popularly known as "Bahubali" for its heavy-lift capability.

ISRO said the launch vehicle has been fully assembled and integrated with the spacecraft, and has been moved to the second launch pad to undergo final pre-launch preparations.

Later in a social media post, ISRO said, "Countdown commences!! Final preparations complete and the countdown for L...