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6d ago

ISRO’s LVM3-M6 Puts AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block-2 Into Orbit, Setting Heaviest LEO Payload Record

The NSIL-contracted flight for AST SpaceMobile showcases India’s push into direct-to-device services.

ISRO's LVM3M6 is set to launch the BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, tomorrow.
At 6,100 kg, this is the heaviest payload to be placed by ISRO’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM3.
The launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s satellite LVM3-M6 / BlueBird Block-2 on December 24.
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Overview

  • The rocket lifted off from Sriharikota’s second launch pad at about 08:54–08:55 IST and released the spacecraft roughly 16 minutes later into a near-circular 520 km, 53° orbit.
  • Weighing approximately 6,100 kg, BlueBird Block-2 is the heaviest payload the LVM3 has delivered to Low Earth Orbit, surpassing the roughly 4,400 kg mark set in November.
  • The satellite features an approximately 223-square-metre phased-array antenna to provide 4G/5G broadband directly to standard smartphones as part of AST SpaceMobile’s constellation.
  • ISRO declared mission success, and AST SpaceMobile said it had taken control of the spacecraft with nominal telemetry after separation.
  • This was LVM3’s sixth operational flight and the second LVM3 mission in 52 days, underscoring ISRO/NSIL’s growing cadence for dedicated commercial heavy-lift launches.