The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday successfully launched the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite of US-based AST SpaceMobile, marking another major milestone in India’s commercial space capabilities. The satellite was precisely placed into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and the mission was declared a complete success.
The launch was carried out at 8:55 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, using ISRO’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM3.
The BlueBird Block-2 satellite is a next-generation communication spacecraft designed to deliver high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones across the globe. Notably, it is the heaviest payload ever launched into Low Earth Orbit by the LVM3 rocket.
ISRO stated that the LVM3-M6/BlueBird Block-2 mission was a dedicated commercial mission undertaken for AST SpaceMobile, USA. This launch marked the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 launch vehicle.
During the mission, LVM3-M6 successfully deployed the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into LEO. The spacecraft is also described as the largest commercial communications satellite ever deployed in Low Earth Orbit and the heaviest payload launched by LVM3 from Indian soil.
Developed by ISRO, LVM3 is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid strap-on boosters (S200), a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25). The rocket has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes, stands 43.5 metres tall, and can carry payloads of up to 4,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
Previously, LVM3 has successfully launched major missions including Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb missions that together deployed 72 satellites. The rocket’s most recent mission prior to this was LVM3-M5/CMS-03, which was successfully completed on November 2 this year.
According to AST SpaceMobile, the company is developing the world’s first space-based cellular broadband network that works directly with standard smartphones, without the need for specialised hardware or modifications. The BlueBird satellites are designed to enable video calls, internet browsing, and 4G and 5G connectivity from virtually anywhere on Earth for both commercial and government users.
