India’s LVM3 Successfully Launches Next-Generation BlueBird-6 Satellite For AST SpaceMobile

India’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM3 successfully placed the next-generation commercial communication satellite BlueBird-6 (Block-2), developed by M/s. AST SpaceMobile, USA, into its precise intended orbit. This milestone mission marks the sixth operational flight of LVM3 and represents a significant achievement for India’s space programme.

The launch, conducted at 08:54 hrs IST on 24 December 2025, carried the heaviest commercial satellite ever launched from Indian soil, underscoring LVM3’s growing capability as a reliable heavy-lift launch vehicle. With this mission, India has now successfully launched 434 satellites for 34 countries, reinforcing its position as a trusted global launch service provider.

BlueBird-6 is part of AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation BlueBird Block-2 satellite constellation, designed to deliver space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones. The launch service was provided by New Space India Limited (NSIL) through ISRO.

NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of India's space agency (ISRO) is a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under Department of Space, and handles satellite production, launch services, and technology transfer to industry.

AST SpaceMobile, Inc., satellite designer and manufacturer based in Midland, Texas, United States, builds the SpaceMobile satellite constellation, a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect directly to standard, unmodified smartphones.

Over the years, ISRO has steadily evolved from a regional space capability into a global leader in precision space engineering and a key player in the international space arena. India’s space missions reflect not only advanced technological competence but also a clear long-term vision and ambition.

Recent notable achievements of India’s space programme include:

• Chandrayaan-3, which achieved a historic soft landing near the Moon’s south polar region
• SPADEX, the successful precision docking of two satellites, a critical precursor for Chandrayaan-4 and the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS)
• The ISRO–NASA NISAR mission for advanced Earth observation, now successfully realised, launched, and operationalised
• Axiom-4 Mission, which carried India’s Gaganyaatri Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station, marking India’s first human spaceflight mission to the ISS

The successful launch of the BlueBird Block-2 satellite on LVM3, together with landmark missions such as NISAR and human spaceflight to the International Space Station, elevates India–USA space cooperation to new heights.

ISRO continues to emerge as a torchbearer for international collaboration in space, contributing meaningfully to global connectivity, exploration, and scientific advancement.