India’s heaviest launch automobile LVM-3, in its third industrial mission, positioned US communication satellite tv for pc Bluebird Block-2 in a exact orbit early Wednesday morning. Weighing round 6,100 kg, it was the heaviest satellite tv for pc launched by an Indian rocket.
“This (the LVM3-M6 mission) was the ninth consecutive profitable launch for LVM-3, demonstrating a 100% reliability… The satellite tv for pc was positioned with lower than 2-km deviation from the deliberate orbit, which is among the greatest performances amongst launch autos within the international enviornment… This offers us nice confidence for the Gaganyaan mission,” stated ISRO chairperson V Narayanan after the profitable launch.
A modified model of the identical launch automobile — a human-rated model with extra security — will carry Indian astronauts to area.
PM Narendra Modi wrote on X: “The profitable LVM3-M6 launch, putting the heaviest satellite tv for pc ever launched from Indian soil, the spacecraft of USA, BlueBird Block-2, into its meant orbit, marks a proud milestone in India’s area journey. It strengthens India’s heavy-lift launch functionality and reinforces our rising function within the international industrial launch market.”
Whilst he acknowledged that there had been some delays with the mission initially focused for the start of the month, M Mohan, managing director of ISRO’s industrial arm NSIL (NewSpace India Restricted), which introduced within the launch to the nation, stated, “We’re completely happy that we had been capable of give them a Christmas reward.”
What a second! Relive the #LVM3M6 liftoff highlights right here:
For Extra info Go to:https://t.co/PBYwLU4Ogy
#LVM3M6 #BlueBirdBlock2 #ISRO #NSIL pic.twitter.com/hc4SoI5DI5— ISRO (@isro) December 24, 2025
The Bluebird Block-2, developed by the US firm ASTSpace Cellular, is part of a low-earth orbit constellation that may present direct-to-mobile connectivity. This implies the satellites would straight talk with commercially out there cell telephones as an alternative of specialized floor stations from the place the info is additional disseminated.
Mark McLaren from ASTSpace Cellular stated: “Thanks for the wonderful experience.”
The launch was vital due to the load of the payload, with India beforehand having to contract out its personal heavier launches to personal gamers equivalent to Ariane House and SpaceX. The heaviest satellite tv for pc flown by ISRO — utilizing the identical automobile — had been two units of 36 OneWeb satellites, every totalling greater than 5,700 kgs.
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The area company additionally broke its file for the heaviest satellite tv for pc positioned within the distant geosynchronous switch orbit final month with the launch of CMS-03 utilizing the identical automobile. The satellite tv for pc weighed 4,410 kg. Beforehand, ISRO’s heaviest satellites equivalent to 5,854 kg GSAT 11 and 4,181 kg GSAT-24 had been launched by Ariane area. The area company additionally used the service of Elon Musk’s SpaceX final 12 months to place in orbit the 4,700 GSAT-20 satellite tv for pc.
The event was additionally vital contemplating it was a industrial launch. India’s workhorse PSLV — ISRO’s smaller however tried and examined automobile — undertook a lot of the launch of the 434 international satellites that India has carried out up to now. Whereas LVM-3 has undertaken two earlier industrial missions — launching two units of OneWeb satellites in 2022 and 2023 — these got here to India after Russia refused to launch it amidst its battle with Ukraine, and with European personal launcher Ariane-5 being out of fee.
Chairperson Narayanan additionally highlighted the quick time between the 2 LVM-3 missions demonstrating ISRO’s functionality of conducting missions in fast succession.
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