India's heavy launcher for lunar missions and large satellites.
LVM3 is a different family from the earlier GSLV rockets despite its former name, GSLV Mk III. It serves heavier payloads and supports India's lunar programme.
The first test in 2014 is suborbital: an inactive upper stage accompanies an experimental reentry capsule with no occupants. The first complete orbital flight follows in 2017.
In 2023, LVM3 launches Chandrayaan-3, whose lander and rover later explore high southern lunar latitudes. A human-rated derivative is developed for Gaganyaan; the missions presented here remain uncrewed.
Selected representative missions; crew names belong to the flight shown.
A suborbital launch and capsule reentry experiment, with no astronauts.
Launch of the mission that achieves a robotic Moon landing in August 2023.
Dates follow the days reported by the source agencies, generally in local time; the UTC day can differ. Crews belong to the selected missions, not every flight in the family.
The family expands India's capabilities for massive satellites, exploration and preparations for human spaceflight.
First flight or first test of the family, including unsuccessful or suborbital attempts.
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