ISRO launched the heaviest commercial satellite ever placed into low Earth orbit on Wednesday morning. The space agency’s powerful LVM3-M6 rocket lifted off at 8:55 am from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, carrying the 6,100-kilogram BlueBird Block-2 satellite for US-based company AST SpaceMobile. The satellite reached its intended orbit about 15 minutes after launch. This mission marks a major step for India’s commercial space program and could change how billions of people access mobile networks across the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the launch “a significant stride in India’s space sector” and said it “marks a proud milestone in India’s space journey.” Union Minister Jitendra Singh praised Team ISRO and said the mission shows “India’s growing prowess in space technology.”
What Makes BlueBird Block-2 Different?
BlueBird Block-2 does something no other satellite system does at this scale. It delivers 4G and 5G mobile services directly to ordinary smartphones without any modifications, special equipment, or ground towers. Users do not need new phones, antennas, or apps. The satellite connects straight to standard mobile devices.
AST SpaceMobile designed the satellite as part of a next-generation constellation aimed at providing direct-to-mobile connectivity. The company says the system will support voice calls, text messaging, video streaming, and data access even in remote and underserved regions.
The satellite features a massive phased-array antenna measuring approximately 2,400 square feet or 223 square meters. This makes it the largest commercial communications satellite ever deployed into low Earth orbit. The satellite orbits at about 520 to 600 kilometers above Earth.
Operating such a large satellite requires enormous power. BlueBird Block-2 needs approximately five to six kilowatts of electricity to function. Despite this heavy power demand, the technology offers a major advantage over competing systems.
How Does It Compare To Other Space Internet Systems?
Most satellite internet systems like Starlink require thousands of satellites to provide global coverage. Starlink currently operates over 2,000 satellites and plans to deploy thousands more for continuous 24-hour service worldwide.
BlueBird Block-2 takes a completely different approach. AST SpaceMobile says just 60 of these massive satellites could provide mobile connectivity across the entire world. The company plans to deploy these 60 satellites in phases over one to two years around Earth.
This means continuous 4G and 5G services could reach any part of the world no matter how remote. The technology could prove especially valuable for countries and regions where expanding traditional mobile networks is difficult and expensive.
AST SpaceMobile already launched five satellites called BlueBird 1 through 5 in September 2024. These satellites now provide continuous internet coverage across the United States and other select countries. The company has partnered with over 50 mobile operators across the globe to expand its network.
Why This Launch Matters For ISRO
The mission represents the sixth operational flight of ISRO’s LVM3 rocket and its third commercial launch. At 6,100 kilograms, BlueBird Block-2 becomes the heaviest payload ISRO has ever placed into low Earth orbit. This surpasses the space agency’s previous LEO payload record set during earlier OneWeb satellite launches.
ISRO also set another milestone last month by placing its heaviest-ever satellite into a different orbit type. The agency launched the 4,410-kilogram CMS-03 communications satellite on November 2 using the same LVM3 rocket.
The BlueBird Block-2 launch came less than two months after that previous mission. This represents the fastest turnaround yet for the vehicle and shows ISRO’s growing ability to assemble and launch heavy missions quickly.
The LVM3 rocket consists of three stages. It has two solid-fuel boosters, a liquid core stage, and a cryogenic upper stage. Engineers originally designed the rocket to carry payloads to very high geosynchronous orbits nearly 36,000 kilometers above Earth. ISRO later adapted it for low Earth orbit missions and renamed it from GSLV-Mk3 to LVM3.
How ISRO Competes In Global Space Market
The launch strengthens ISRO’s position in the global commercial launch market. Heavy-lift launch vehicles from companies like SpaceX with its Falcon 9 and Europe’s Ariane 6 currently dominate this market. ISRO positions the LVM3 as a lower-cost alternative for commercial satellite launches.
The LVM3 previously carried out two major commercial missions for OneWeb in 2022 and 2023. ISRO deployed 72 OneWeb satellites after Russia declined to launch them following the Ukraine war and Europe retired its Ariane-5 launcher.
ISRO said the BlueBird mission aligns with ongoing efforts to upgrade the LVM3 for future programs. These include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station.
The space agency is working to increase lift capacity by boosting the thrust of the cryogenic upper stage. Engineers are also exploring the use of a semi-cryogenic engine for the second stage. These changes could raise the vehicle’s payload capacity to around 10,000 kilograms for low Earth orbit missions.
ISRO is also developing a bootstrap reignition system for the cryogenic engine. This would allow the upper stage to restart without external gases. The improvement would boost efficiency and enable more complex missions involving multiple satellite deployments.
What This Means For Global Connectivity
This joint effort between ISRO and AST SpaceMobile represents a major step toward space-based mobile communications. The technology could play a key role in bridging the digital divide across the world.
People in rural areas, mountainous terrain, oceans, and disaster-affected areas will be able to make video calls, access the internet, and use mobile services. This connectivity comes without building expensive ground infrastructure like cell towers and fiber optic cables.
The system could prove especially valuable during natural disasters when ground-based networks fail. It could also help connect remote communities that traditional telecom companies find too expensive to serve with conventional infrastructure.
This marks the second major collaboration between the United States and ISRO. In July, ISRO successfully launched the $1.5 billion NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission called NISAR. That satellite aims to take high-resolution Earth scans with capacity to penetrate through fog, dense clouds, and ice layers.
The BlueBird Block-2 mission demonstrates both ISRO’s commercial launch capabilities and its readiness for more demanding space missions in the years ahead. As the space agency continues upgrading its rockets and expanding its services, India strengthens its position as a major player in the global space industry.
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