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Bluebird 6 ISRO Launch: ISRO will launch the American company’s 6.5 tonne ‘Blue Bird 6’ satellite with its ‘Bahubali’ LVM3 rocket on December 24. This is the heaviest payload ever carried by LVM3. This satellite will provide mobile network directly from space.
New Delhi: Just before Christmas (on the morning of 24th December), the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is going to create a new record. India’s most powerful rocket LVM3, fondly called ‘Baahubali’ is all set to make its heaviest flight ever. This rocket will take off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota carrying the 6.5 tonne ‘Blue Bird 6’ satellite of American company AST Spacemobile. This is considered to be ISRO’s most important and high-profile commercial mission of 2025. With this launch, the world of mobile connectivity will change forever as this satellite will provide network to your smartphone directly from space. Amidst the dominance of NASA and SpaceX, an American company expressing confidence in ISRO is the biggest proof of India’s growing space power.
After all, why was Christmas evening chosen for this historic mission?
ISRO has fixed December 24 for its biggest mission of this year. This launch will take place at 8.54 am from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. The eyes of the whole world are fixed on this because this mission is special in many ways. ISRO’s LVM3 rocket, called ‘Baahubali’, has a track record of 100% success so far. Due to this confidence, the American company has chosen it for its most valuable satellite.
ISRO’s ‘Bahubali’ LVM3 rocket. (File photo)
This launch is being done through ISRO’s commercial wing NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). This explosion on the eve of Christmas will establish India as a strong player in the global space market. This will prove to be a mission that will further strengthen the credibility of Baahubali Rocket.
What is the biggest challenge for the Baahubali rocket with its weight of 6.5 tonnes?
- The biggest special thing about this mission is its payload. AST Spacemobile’s Blue Bird 6 satellite weighs 6.5 tonnes. This will be the heaviest satellite ever to be placed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by LVM3.
- This rocket of India is 43.5 meters long and its own weight is 642 tonnes. It is made only to carry heavy satellites into space. It can carry 10 tonnes of weight in LEO and 4 tonnes in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
- Blue Bird 6 AST is the first soldier in Spacemobile’s next-generation satellite fleet. Successfully sending it into orbit is a question of credibility for ISRO. Because after this there are many more launches in the queue.
How will a 2400 square feet antenna opening in space change your world?
- This is not an ordinary satellite. Once it reaches its orbit, a huge antenna fitted in it will open. This will be the largest commercial ‘phased array’ antenna ever deployed in low Earth orbit.
- Its size will be around 2400 square feet. You can imagine how huge it will be. It is three and a half times larger than the company’s old Blue Bird 1-5 satellites.
- The company claims that its data capacity will be 10 times more. Its objective is to create the world’s first space-based cellular broadband network. It will connect directly to the smartphones of common people. That means you will get network without mobile tower.
On December 6, BlueBird 6 was encapsulated and timely handed off to the launcher for liftoff. The exact December launch date will be announced in the coming days.
This launch marks the beginning of our launch campaign, with a launch every forty-five days on average during 2026.… pic.twitter.com/wVwLfVXcMj
