BlueBird-2 Launch: ISRO’s LVM3-M6 Lifts Off With Heaviest Payload Ever

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday successfully launched the BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft of US-based AST SpaceMobile aboard its heavy-lift LVM3-M6 rocket, marking a key milestone in the space agency’s commercial launch programme.

The spacecraft lifted off at 8.55 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, and was later successfully placed into orbit, ISRO said.

Weighing 6,100 kg, BlueBird Block-2 is the heaviest payload ever carried to Low Earth Orbit by ISRO’s LVM3 vehicle, also known as the ‘Baahubali’ rocket.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh congratulated the ISRO team on the successful mission. “Kudos Team ISRO for the successful launch of LVM3-M6 carrying BlueBird Block-2. With the visionary patronage of PM Narendra Modi, ISRO continues to achieve one success after another,” he wrote on X.

The mission is being conducted under a commercial agreement between ISRO’s commercial arm, NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), and AST SpaceMobile, a US-based company developing a space-based cellular broadband network.

The previous LVM3 payload record was held by the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite-03, which weighed about 4,400 kg and was launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit in November.

AST SpaceMobile aims to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to standard smartphones worldwide. The network is designed to support 4G and 5G voice calls, video, messaging, streaming and data services for both commercial and government users.

The 43.5-metre-tall LVM3, also known as the GSLV Mk III, is a three-stage launch vehicle equipped with two S200 solid rocket boosters and a cryogenic upper stage developed by ISRO. The rocket has previously been used for missions including Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 and two OneWeb launches that carried a total of 72 satellites.