Overview
- Launching from Sriharikota, LVM3-M6 placed AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block-2 into roughly 520 km low Earth orbit, the heaviest payload—over 6,100 kg—ever lifted from India.
- The mission was executed under a NewSpace India Limited agreement and marked the third fully commercial flight of the LVM-3.
- BlueBird is part of a planned constellation designed to deliver broadband directly to ordinary smartphones without special ground hardware.
- Controllers imposed a brief hold of about 90 seconds to avoid a possible debris conjunction before proceeding to a precise orbital injection.
- Officials said the performance validates India’s heavy-lift launcher for large payloads and supports readiness for roles such as the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.