ISRO Launches Bahubali Rocket With Heaviest BlueBird Block-2 Communication Satellite | WATCH Historic Moment

New Delhi: In a historic feat, the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite of the United States' AST SpaceMobile today at 8:55 AM IST from Satish Dhawan Space Station in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The satellite was successfully placed in Orbit and the mission was declared a success. 

The 43.5 metre tall rocket supported by two S200 solid boosters lifted off majestically at 8:55 am from the second launch pad at this spaceport, situated about 135 km east of Chennai.

The launch, originally scheduled for 8:54 AM, was delayed by 90 seconds as a precaution. ISRO stated the brief hold was due to a potential collision risk with debris or other satellites along the flight path of the Bahubali rocket.

ISRO stated that the LVM3-M6/BlueBird Block-2 Mission is a dedicated commercial mission onboard the LVM3 launch vehicle, which will launch the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite of AST SpaceMobile, USA. 

This mission also represents the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 launch vehicle.

The mission will deploy the next-generation communication satellite designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones worldwide.

All About The Mission

In this mission, LVM3-M6 will place the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into Low Earth Orbit, which is the largest commercial communications satellite to be deployed in Low Earth Orbit. 

It will also be the heaviest payload to be launched by LVM3 from Indian soil.

The satellite is part of the next generation of BlueBird Block-2 communication satellites, designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones, ISRO said.

LVM3, developed by ISRO, is a three-stage launch vehicle comprising two solid strap-on motors (S200), a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25).

It has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes, a height of 43.5 meters, and a payload capability of 4,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

ISRO'S earlier Mission

In its earlier missions, LVM3 successfully launched Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb missions carrying 72 satellites. The previous launch of LVM3 was the LVM3-M5/CMS-03 mission, which was successfully accomplished on November 2 this year.

AST SpaceMobile, as per its website, is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications.

According to AST SpaceMobile, its BlueBird satellites provide broadband directly to standard smartphones without specialised hardware or phone modifications, allowing users to make video calls, browse the web, and use 4G and 5G internet speeds from anywhere on Earth.

Boost For Smartphone Connectivity

ISRO’s BlueBird Block-2 Mission can turn out to be gamechanger in terms of mobile connectivity as the satellite is intended to deliver 4G and 5G connectivity directly to smartphones in regions lacking terrestrial networks.

Under a commercial agreement with a US-based company, AST SpaceMobile, ISRO will place the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite into Low Earth orbit (LEO), which is the largest commercial communications satellite to be deployed in Low Earth Orbit.

After entering orbit, BlueBird Block 2 will deploy its 223-square-metre phased-array antenna. Furthermore, the satellite, weighing nearly 6.5 tonnes (6,500 kilograms), is configured to provide up to ten times the bandwidth of the prior five BlueBird models.

Not only will BlueBird Block 2 project connectivity directly to unmodified, standard mobile handsets, but it will also support peak data speeds of up to 120 megabits per second- fast enough to enable voice calls, messaging, rapid data transfers, and seamless video streaming across both 4G and 5G networks.

Also Read: ISRO's BlueBird Block-2 Satellite Launch From 'Baahubali' Rocket: Here's All You Need To Know