India’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM3 is gearing up for an important commercial mission on December 24, with the launch of the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite for US-based company AST SpaceMobile. The launch is scheduled for 8.54 am IST and will see the placement of the largest commercial communications satellite ever deployed in low Earth orbit. It will also be the heaviest payload carried by LVM3 from Indian soil so far.
According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the mission—designated LVM3-M6/BlueBird Block-2—is a dedicated commercial launch using the LVM3 rocket. This will be the vehicle’s sixth operational flight and is being viewed as another milestone for India’s expanding presence in the global commercial launch sector.
Once launched, the satellite will be injected into low Earth orbit as part of AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation BlueBird Block-2 constellation. The satellites are designed to enable space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly on standard smartphones, without the need for specialised hardware or handset modifications.
Developed by ISRO, the LVM3 is a three-stage launch vehicle equipped with two solid strap-on boosters, a liquid core stage and a cryogenic upper stage. Standing 43.5 metres tall with a lift-off mass of around 640 tonnes, the rocket can carry payloads of up to 4,200 kg to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
The LVM3 has previously supported several major missions, including Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb launches that together placed 72 satellites into orbit. Its most recent flight, LVM3-M5/CMS-03, was successfully conducted on November 2 this year.
AST SpaceMobile, the commercial customer for the mission, is developing a space-based cellular broadband network that can be accessed directly on everyday smartphones. The company says its BlueBird satellites will enable services such as video calling, internet access, and 4G and 5G connectivity from nearly anywhere on the globe, catering to both civilian and government users.