The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently attained a significant step in the commercial space sector by successfully launching the BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft, belonging to the American firm AST SpaceMobile, into space. The launch operation has been carried out by ISRO's heavy lift launch vehicle, LVM3-M6, referred to as 'Baahubali' by ISRO.
The rocket took off successfully at 8.55 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The ISRO later confirmed the successful placement of the satellite in the Low Earth Orbit.
The heaviest payload launched by ISRO
Weighing 6,100 kg, the BlueBird Block-2 is the largest satellite that has been orbitéd in LEO by ISRO’s LVM3 launch vehicle. This beats the previous record of the LVM3-M5 mission that carried the Communication Satellite-03, which had a launch weight of 4,400 kg, into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit in November.
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This mission is being implemented on a commercial agreement between the commercial arm of ISRO and AST SpaceMobile, which is otherwise abbreviated as “AST” and “Science LLC.” This launch has been recognised as an important move to enhance the global commercial launch services capabilities of ISRO.
PM Modi hails ISRO team
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the ISRO scientists and engineers, calling this mission a proud moment in India’s space community. In a message posted on X, PM Modi said, “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. It strengthens India’s heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces our growing role in the global commercial launch market.”
“This is also reflective of our efforts towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Congratulations to our hardworking space scientists and engineers. India continues to soar higher in the world of space!”, he further said.
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, also welcomed this feat and said, “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, reiterating India’s growing prowess in Space technology.”
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Why does this mission matter?
Reportedly, the BlueBird Block-2 mission has the objective of facilitating the deployment of next-generation communication satellites that will enable the provision of high-speed cellular broadband to standard mobile phones worldwide. AST SpaceMobile has designed a space-based cellular network that will enable the delivery of 4G and 5G cellular operations, such as voice, video, messaging, and data, for commercial and governmental purposes.
About ISRO’s LVM3 launch vehicle
It measures 43.5 meters in height. Being a three-stage rocket launch vehicle, it has been used in various missions like Chandrayaan 2, Chandrayaan 3, and the OneWeb satellite orbit missions. This rocket makes use of its cryogenic motor developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of ISRO. It also employs S200 solid rocket boosters designed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
