Why today's Bluebird 2 launch is a milestone for ISRO's commercial space push

JUst hours remain for the set in motion of bharat’s heavy-lift LVM3-M6 skyrocket, as the amerindic blank Research Organisation prepares to loft a next-generation US communication satellite into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a major commercial mission.ISRO said the rocket is on track to lift off at 8.54 am on Wednesday from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The mission will carry the BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft of US-based AST SpaceMobile, marking the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 launch vehicle.The 6,100-kg BlueBird Block-2 will be the heaviest payload ever launched by LVM3 into LEO, a significant milestone for the rocket.The earlier record was held by the CMS-03 communication satellite, weighing about 4,400 kg, which was placed into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit on November 2.The launch is being undertaken under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, and AST SpaceMobile.About 15 minutes after liftoff, the satellite is expected to separate from the rocket and be injected into its designated low Earth orbit at an altitude of roughly 600 km.ISRO chairman V Narayanan, who offered prayers at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala earlier this week, is present at the spaceport to oversee the mission.All about the launch vehicleStanding 43.5 metres tall, the LVM3, also known as GSLV Mk III, is a three-stage launch vehicle comprising two S200 solid strap-on boosters, a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25). With a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes, it is ISRO’s most powerful operational rocket.BlueBird Block-2 is part of AST SpaceMobile’s global LEO constellation aimed at providing space-based cellular broadband directly to standard smartphones, without specialised hardware or modifications. The satellite features a massive 223-square-metre phased-array antenna, making it the largest commercial communications satellite deployed in LEO to date.According to AST SpaceMobile, the constellation will enable 4G and 5G voice and video calls, text messaging, data streaming, and broadband internet for users anywhere in the world.Another milestone for LVM3The company has already launched five BlueBird satellites in September 2024 and has partnerships with more than 50 mobile operators globally.LVM3 has previously powered flagship missions such as Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb launches carrying 72 satellites.