New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out a major space mission on Christmas Eve, launching its heaviest rocket, LVM3-M6, from the second launch pad at Sriharikota on Wednesday morning.
The rocket lifted off at 8.54 am and placed a US communication satellite, BlueBird Block-2, into low Earth orbit, making it the heaviest payload ever deployed to LEO by an LVM3 launch from Indian soil.
According to ISRO, the satellite was accurately injected into its intended orbit after a flight of around 15 minutes. The spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle as planned, marking the successful completion of the mission.
The BlueBird Block-2 satellite weighs about 6,100 kg, which is higher than any previous payload carried to low Earth orbit by the LVM3. Earlier, the heaviest satellite launched by this rocket was the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite-03, which weighed around 4,400 kg and was placed into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit in November.
The mission was carried out under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, and US-based AST SpaceMobile. The satellite is part of a larger low Earth orbit constellation being built to provide direct-to-mobile connectivity.
The planned network aims to support 4G and 5G voice calls, video calls, messaging, streaming and data services directly on smartphones.
AST SpaceMobile is working on what it calls a space-based cellular broadband network that can be accessed without special devices. The system is intended for both commercial and government use. The company had earlier launched five satellites, BlueBird 1 to 5, in September 2024, which currently offer coverage over the United States and a few other regions. More launches are planned to expand the network, and the company has partnerships with over 50 mobile operators worldwide.
The LVM3-M6, also known as GSLV Mk III, is a three-stage launch vehicle developed by ISRO. It uses a cryogenic engine developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. The rocket is equipped with two large S200 solid boosters that provide the thrust needed during lift-off. These boosters were developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
This was the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 and the third dedicated commercial mission using this vehicle. ISRO said the LVM3 has completed eight consecutive successful launches so far, including the Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions.