New Delhi, Dec 24 || In yet another historic feat, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday successfully launched LVM3-M6 rocket, carrying United States' new generation BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite.
“Mission Success. The LVM3-M6 mission has successfully placed the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into its intended orbit,” said ISRO in an X post.
The communication satellite, weighing 6,100 kg, is the heaviest payload to be placed into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in LVM3 launch history. The previous heaviest was the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite 03, weighing about 4,400 kg that was successfully launched by ISRO on November 2 in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
The satellite is part of a next generation of BlueBird Block-2 communication satellites, designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones.
This mission marks the 6th operational flight of the LVM3 launch vehicle. It also represents a significant leap in telecommunications technology, as the massive 6,100 kg payload is designed to provide high-speed 4G and 5G connectivity directly to smartphones.