India’s heaviest launch vehicle – the LVM3 rocket – successfully completed its sixth mission on December 24. The rocket lifted off at 8:55 am IST from ISRO‘s Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, with AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 6 satellite and flawlessly deployed it in the low-Earth orbit. About an hour after launch, Abel Avellan, AST CEO, confirmed receiving telemetry from the satellite and that his team is in now control.
“Perfect execution from both teams in India and the U.S. We are now in control of BlueBird 6 from our D.C. command center and with nominal telemetry!” Avellan posted on X.
A significant stride in India’s space sector…
The successful LVM3-M6 launch, placing the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil, the spacecraft of USA, BlueBird Block-2, into its intended orbit, marks a proud milestone in India’s space journey.
It strengthens… pic.twitter.com/AH6aJAyOhi
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 24, 2025
BlueBird 6 spans nearly 2,400 square feet and it’s the biggest of all six BlueBird satellites launched to date. It was also the heaviest payload launched by LVM3 from Indian soil. AST is developing the BlueBird constellation to provide high-speed 5G internet services to standard unmodified smartphones directly from space. These satellites could enable peak data rates up to 120 Mbps.
“With BlueBird 6 now in orbit, we are firmly on the path to delivering true space-based cellular broadband directly to everyday smartphones, at a global scale,” Avellan said in a statement. According to AST, it is planning to launch 45 to 60 satellites by the end of 2026, with launches planned every one or two months. Apart from ISRO, which contracted the mission through its commercial arm – NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) – AST will also use SpaceX and Blue Origin’s rockets for the job.
BlueBird 7 has already been shipped from AST’s Texas facility to Cape Canaveral in Florida for the next launch atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
PM Narendra Modi hails ISRO’s LVM3 success
PM Narendra Modi applauded the successful launch of LVM3 which has had a 100% success rate. The 43.5 metres tall rocket has previously supported two missions for OneWeb (another satellite internet company), Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 and the Indian Navy CMS-03 mission.
A significant stride in India’s space sector…
The successful LVM3-M6 launch, placing the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil, the spacecraft of USA, BlueBird Block-2, into its intended orbit, marks a proud milestone in India’s space journey.
It strengthens… pic.twitter.com/AH6aJAyOhi
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 24, 2025
“The successful LVM3-M6 launch, placing the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil, the spacecraft of USA, BlueBird Block-2, into its intended orbit, marks a proud milestone in India’s space journey. It strengthens India’s heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces our growing role in the global commercial launch market,” the PM posted on X.
“With LVM3 demonstrating reliable heavy-lift performance, we are strengthening the foundations for future missions such as Gaganyaan, expanding commercial launch services and deepening global partnerships,” he further said.
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