BlueBird-6 Takes Flight: ISRO’s ‘Baahubali’ Rocket Launches Heaviest-Ever Satellite into Orbit

December 24, 2025

New Delhi: In a major milestone for India’s space programme, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Wednesday successfully launched BlueBird-6, the heaviest satellite ever carried by India, aboard its powerful LVM3 ‘Baahubali’ rocket. The next-generation communications satellite was launched at 8:55 am from the second launch pad at Sriharikota, about 135 km east of Chennai, after a 24-hour countdown.

After a smooth flight lasting nearly 15 minutes, the BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft separated from the rocket and was precisely injected into its intended Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at around 520 km altitude, marking another flawless mission for ISRO.

Heaviest Payload in LVM3’s History

Weighing an impressive 6,100 kg, BlueBird-6 is the heaviest payload ever placed into LEO by the LVM3 launch vehicle. The previous record was held by the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite-03, which weighed about 4,400 kg and was launched into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) in November this year.

“This is our 104th launch from Sriharikota and the sixth operational flight of LVM3,” ISRO Chairman Dr V. Narayanan said. He highlighted that the mission demonstrated 100 per cent reliability of the LVM3, adding that it was the first-ever back-to-back LVM3 launch within just 52 days, calling it a remarkable achievement.

Boost to India-US Space Collaboration

The mission marks the second major India-US satellite collaboration this year. Earlier in July, ISRO launched the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, designed to provide high-resolution Earth imaging capable of penetrating clouds, fog, and ice.

BlueBird-6 has been developed by US-based AST SpaceMobile and is part of its next-generation BlueBird Block-2 satellite constellation. The company had earlier launched BlueBird-1 to BlueBird-5 in September 2024 and has partnerships with over 50 mobile operators worldwide.

Direct 4G–5G Connectivity from Space

Designed to revolutionize global communications, BlueBird-6 aims to deliver space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones, enabling high-speed 4G and 5G services without the need for specialized devices.

The launch was carried out under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL)—ISRO’s commercial arm—and AST SpaceMobile. The powerful three-stage LVM3 rocket, comprising solid strap-on motors, a liquid core, and a cryogenic upper stage, has earlier powered landmark missions such as Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and OneWeb satellite launches.

With this successful mission, ISRO has once again reinforced its position as a reliable global launch partner, while pushing the boundaries of heavy-lift and advanced satellite deployment capabilities.