Overview
- Launched on December 24 from Sriharikota, the LVM3-M6 placed BlueBird Block-2 into a near-circular low Earth orbit at roughly 520 km with the required inclination, and ISRO declared the mission successful.
- Weighing just over 6,100 kg, BlueBird Block-2 is the heaviest payload ever launched from India by an Indian rocket.
- The satellite, developed by AST SpaceMobile, is part of a direct-to-device constellation designed to connect standard 4G and 5G smartphones from space.
- The flight was conducted under a NewSpace India Limited–AST SpaceMobile commercial agreement and marked the third fully commercial mission for LVM3.
- The demonstrated 6‑plus‑tonne lift strengthens India’s case for human spaceflight preparations and future station modules, following a year that mixed setbacks with successes such as SpaDeX, NISAR and an Indian visit to the ISS.