ISRO's LVM3 rocket places US communication satellite into low earth orbit

In a historic Christmas Eve mission, ISRO's heaviest rocket, LVM3-M6, successfully placed a US communication satellite into orbit on Wednesday.

The Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said the LVM3-M6 has successfully placed the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into its intended orbit.

The Bluebird Block-2 mission is part of a global LEO (Low Earth Orbit) constellation to provide direct-to-mobile connectivity through satellite. This constellation would enable 4G and 5G voice and video calls, texts, streaming and data for everyone, everywhere at all times.

LVM3-M6, also known as 'Bahubali', carried the communication satellite as part of a commercial deal between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) and US-based AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC). NewSpace India is the commercial arm of ISRO.

The 43.5 metre tall rocket soared majestically at 8.54 am from the second launch pad here on Wednesday. After a flight journey of about 15 minutes, the spacecraft Bluebird Block-2 got separated from the vehicle and it was successfully placed into orbit.

On the successful launch, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said, "I am extremely happy to say that the LVM3M6 'Bahubali' rocket has successfully placed the Bluebird-Block 2 satellite into the intended orbit. Let me congratulate NewSpace India and AST Space Mobile on the outstanding achievement."

The satellite was placed in a 518 km circular orbit against the planned 520 km altitude, he said, describing it as a "textbook launch". The LVM3 rocket has demonstrated its 100 per cent success rate, he said.

According to Narayanan, this is the first time ISRO has launched two LVM3 rockets within just 52 days, following the successful M5 mission on November 2. Addressing his team from the Mission Control Centre, he thanked them for one of the finest performances of any launch vehicle and said this mission brings India's total to 434 satellites launched for 34 countries.

"The reward for hard work is more work, and we have a lot of programmes on hand," he remarked. The ISRO chairman hailed the successful launch of the Bluebird Block-2 satellite as a "New Year and Christmas gift to Bharat."

He reflected on a year of achievements, driven by high-stakes missions such as the NISAR mission, CMS-03 and the Bluebird Block-2 mission.

On the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, he said, "We have to accomplish uncrewed missions, and we are getting towards that." With the industrial consortium fully prepared, Narayanan, who is also the Secretary of Department of Space, said another launch from an Indian startup is scheduled in just a few weeks.

Already, the developmental phase of small satellite launch vehicles (SSLVs) is completed, and we are going to start the operational phase of SSLVs, he said. One of the important commitments made by the central government is the commission of navigation satellites.

"That satellite series we are going to continue and we are going to start placing them in the intended orbit," he said.

Weighing 6,100 kg, the communication satellite would be the heaviest payload to be placed into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in LVM3 launch history from Indian soil, the space agency said. The previous heaviest was the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite 03, weighing about 4,400 kg that was successfully launched by ISRO on November 2 in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

The mission is aimed at deploying the next-generation communication satellite designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones. AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network, which is accessible directly by smartphones and designed for both commercial and government applications.

The LVM3-M6, also known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkIII), is a three-stage rocket with a cryogenic engine designed and developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.

The vehicle uses two S200 solid rocket boosters to provide the huge amount of thrust required for lift off. The booster has been developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

According to AST SpaceMobile, it has launched five satellites, Bluebird 1-5, in September 2024, which provide continuous coverage across the United States and other select countries. The company has planned to launch similar satellites to augment its network support and has partnered with over 50 mobile operators across the globe.

The LVM3-M6 is the sixth operational flight of LVM3 and third dedicated commercial mission to launch the Bluebird Block-2 spacecraft. The LVM3 has a spectacular pedigree of completing eight consecutive successful launches including the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions, ISRO said.