In a landmark Christmas Eve mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday successfully placed a next-generation US communication satellite, BlueBird Block-2, into Low Earth Orbit using its heaviest rocket, LVM3-M6, also known as ‘Bahubali’.

The Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said the LVM3-M6 rocket successfully placed the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into its intended orbit. The 43.5-metre-tall launch vehicle lifted off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 8.55 am.

After a flight of about 15 minutes, the 6,100-kg communication satellite separated from the vehicle and was placed into orbit at an altitude of around 518–520 km. ISRO said this is the heaviest payload ever placed into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by the LVM3 from Indian soil. The previous heaviest payload was the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite-03, weighing about 4,400 kg, launched into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit on November 2.

The mission was executed under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, and US-based AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC).

On the successful launch, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said, "I am extremely happy to say that the LVM3M6 'Bahubali' rocket has successfully placed the Bluebird-Block 2 satellite into the intended orbit. Let me congratulate NewSpace India and AST Space Mobile on the outstanding achievement." He said the satellite was placed in a 518 km circular orbit against the planned 520 km altitude, describing it as a "textbook launch".

Narayanan said the LVM3 rocket has demonstrated a 100 per cent success rate and noted that this was the first time ISRO had launched two LVM3 rockets within just 52 days, following the successful M5 mission on November 2.

Addressing his team from the Mission Control Centre, he thanked them for one of the finest performances of any launch vehicle and said the mission takes India’s tally to 434 satellites launched for 34 countries. "The reward for hard work is more work, and we have a lot of programmes on hand," he remarked.

The ISRO chairman hailed the mission as a "New Year and Christmas gift to Bharat", reflecting on a year marked by high-stakes missions such as NISAR, CMS-03 and BlueBird Block-2.

On the ambitious Gaganyaan programme, Narayanan said, "We have to accomplish uncrewed missions, and we are getting towards that." He added that with the industrial consortium fully prepared, another launch from an Indian startup is scheduled in the coming weeks.

He also said the developmental phase of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) has been completed and ISRO will begin its operational phase. Highlighting a key government commitment, he said navigation satellites will continue to be commissioned. "That satellite series we are going to continue and we are going to start placing them in the intended orbit," he said.

The BlueBird Block-2 mission is part of a global LEO constellation aimed at providing direct-to-mobile connectivity via satellite, enabling 4G and 5G voice and video calls, text messaging, streaming and data services worldwide. The satellite, featuring a 223-square-metre phased array, is designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones.

AST SpaceMobile is building what it describes as the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by smartphones for both commercial and government applications. The company said it launched five satellites — BlueBird 1 to 5 — in September 2024, which provide continuous coverage across the United States and select other countries, and has partnered with over 50 mobile operators globally.

The LVM3-M6, also known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (GSLV Mk-III), is a three-stage rocket with a cryogenic engine developed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre and uses two S200 solid rocket boosters developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

The mission marked the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 and its third dedicated commercial mission. ISRO said the launch vehicle has completed eight consecutive successful missions, including Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3.

ISRO sources said the launch time was revised to ensure accurate orbital insertion. “Earlier, the lift off had been planned at 11.30 am, but it was gradually revised and now, it has been revised to 8.55am”, an official told PTI.