Sriharikota, 24 December (H.S.): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a landmark success on Wednesday as its LVM3-M6 rocket flawlessly propelled the BlueBird Block-2 satellite – the heaviest commercial payload ever launched from Indian soil at 6,100 kilograms – into a precise 518.5-kilometer Low Earth Orbit just 15.4 minutes after liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the mission as a significant stride in India’s space sector, emphasizing that powered by India’s youth, our space programme is getting more advanced and impactful. He noted on X that the LVM3's reliable heavy-lift performance strengthens foundations for future endeavors like Gaganyaan, expands commercial launch services, deepens global partnerships, and boosts self-reliance for coming generations.

ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan, addressing the media post-launch, declared the insertion orbit deviated by less than two kilometers from the targeted 520 kilometers, ranking among the world's finest launch vehicle performances. This ninth consecutive LVM3 success – the third dedicated commercial mission and first for a U.S. client, AST SpaceMobile – marks ISRO's 104th liftoff from Sriharikota, coming just 52 days after the LVM3-M5/CMS-03 flight on November 2.

The BlueBird Block-2, featuring a massive 223-square-meter phased-array antenna, stands as the largest commercial communications satellite deployed in Low Earth Orbit, enabling direct-to-smartphone 4G/5G connectivity for voice, video, texting, streaming, and data worldwide without specialized hardware.

LVM3, a three-stage behemoth with two S200 solid boosters, a liquid L110 core, and C25 cryogenic upper stage, underscores ISRO's prowess following iconic missions like Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and OneWeb constellations, cementing India's ascent in the global space economy.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar