Sriharikota, India – Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite on Wednesday, representing a significant achievement for India’s heavy-lift launch capabilities.

Utilising the LVM3-M6 launch vehicle, the mission lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 8:55 am IST and successfully placed the spacecraft into Low Earth Orbit. Developed by the US-based company AST SpaceMobile, the BlueBird Block-2 is reported to be the heaviest payload ever launched by the LVM3 from Indian soil and is the largest commercial communications satellite currently deployed in Low Earth Orbit. This next-generation satellite is designed to facilitate high-speed cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard smartphones globally, enabling 4G and 5G services without the requirement for modified hardware.