In another remarkable achievement, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the LVM3-M6 rocket on Wednesday, which carried the new generation BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite from the United States.

“Mission accomplished. The LVM3-M6 mission has successfully positioned the BlueBird Block-2 satellite in its designated orbit,” ISRO announced in a post on X.

The communication satellite, weighing 6,100 kg, is the heaviest payload ever launched into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in the history of LVM3.

Previously, the heaviest was the LVM3-M5’s Communication Satellite 03, which weighed around 4,400 kg and was successfully launched by ISRO on November 2 into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

This satellite is part of an advanced generation of BlueBird Block-2 communication satellites, aimed at delivering space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones.

This mission signifies the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 launch vehicle. It also marks a substantial advancement in telecommunications technology, as the substantial 6,100 kg payload is intended to offer high-speed 4G and 5G connectivity straight to smartphones.

“Congratulations to Team ISRO on the successful launch of LVM3-M6 carrying BlueBird Block-2. Under the visionary guidance of PM Narendra Modi, ISRO continues to reach new heights of success, highlighting India’s expanding capabilities in space technology,” Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh stated in a post on X.

The BlueBird communications satellite, created by the US-based AST SpaceMobile, is set to be launched aboard India’s most powerful rocket, the LVM3. It stands out as one of the heaviest commercial satellites, with a weight of 6.5 tonnes. The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite arrived in India from the US on October 19.

This marks the second collaboration between the US and ISRO. In July, ISRO successfully launched the $1.5 billion NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission (NISAR), which is designed to capture high-resolution Earth images and can penetrate fog, dense clouds, and layers of ice.

AST SpaceMobile has already deployed five satellites – BlueBird 1 to 5 – in September 2024. Aiming to further extend this network, the company has partnered with over 50 mobile operators across the globe.