Our Bureau
Sriharikota
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan on Wednesday hailed the successful launch of the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite, calling it the “heaviest satellite ever lifted from Indian soil using an Indian launcher.”
Narayanan highlighted that the satellite was injected into its intended orbit with precision, marking a significant achievement for ISRO.
Narayanan emphasised that the same LVM3 rocket, which successfully launched the BlueBird Block-2 satellite, has been earmarked for the forthcoming Gaganyaan programme.
He noted that the rocket’s perfect track record of 100 per cent success since 2017 strengthens confidence in India’s ability.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the successful launch of LVM3-M6, which placed the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into its intended orbit. He called it a significant stride in India’s space journey.
PM Modi congratulated ISRO’s scientists and engineers, emphasising the country’s progress toward an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and its continued rise in the world of space.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, “A significant stride in India’s space sector…The successful LVM3-M6 launch, placing the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil, the spacecraft of USA, BlueBird Block-2, into its intended orbit, marks a proud milestone in India’s space journey.”
Earlier, during his speech, V Narayanan said, “Launch vehicle has successfully and precisely injected the BlueBird Block 2 communication satellite in the intended orbit. This is the first dedicated commercial launch for a customer from the USA, that is AST SpaceMobile… This is our 104th launch from Sriharikota, also the 9th successful mission of the LVM-3 launch vehicle, demonstrating its 100% reliability… “
This mission, which was the first dedicated commercial launch for US-based AST SpaceMobile, also marked the 104th launch from Sriharikota and the 9th successful flight of the LVM-3 launch vehicle.
“This is a back-to-back mission of the LVM-3 in just 52 days… This is the heaviest satellite ever lifted from Indian soil using an Indian launcher. This is also the third fully commercial mission of LVM-3 and the vehicle has demonstrated its excellent track record,” he said.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite of the United States’ AST SpaceMobile this morning. The satellite was successfully placed in Orbit, and the mission was declared a success.
The launch took place from the Satish Dhawan Space Station in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 8:55 AM IST.
The mission deploys the next-generation communication satellite designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones worldwide. The BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft would be the heaviest payload to be launched into Low Earth Orbit in the history of the LVM3 rocket.
The satellite is part of the next generation of BlueBird Block-2 communication satellites, designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones, ISRO said.
LVM3, developed by ISRO, is a three-stage launch vehicle comprising two solid strap-on motors (S200), a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25). It has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes, a height of 43.5 meters, and a payload capability of 4,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
In its earlier missions, LVM3 successfully launched Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb missions carrying 72 satellites. The previous launch of LVM3 was the LVM3-M5/CMS-03 mission, which was successfully accomplished on November 2 this year.
AST SpaceMobile, as per its website, is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications.
According to AST SpaceMobile, its BlueBird satellites provide broadband directly to standard smartphones without specialised hardware or phone modifications, allowing users to make video calls, browse the web, and use 4G and 5G internet speeds from anywhere on Earth.
