Why ISRO’s LVM3-M6 Launch Could Change India’s Role In Global Satellite Launches

New Delhi: The time for another important space mission for India is now near. The Indian Space Research Organization ISRO is going to launch its heavy-lift rocket LVM3-M6 on Wednesday morning. Under this mission, a next-generation communication satellite of America will be sent into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is being seen as a big commercial mission for ISRO.

When and where will it be launched?

According to ISRO, the LVM3-M6 rocket will take off at 8:54 am on Wednesday from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This rocket will carry the BlueBird Block-2 satellite of the American company AST SpaceMobile. This will be the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 rocket.

Why is this mission considered special?

Weighing approximately 6,100 kilograms, BlueBird Block-2 will be the heaviest payload ever deployed by LVM3 into low Earth orbit. Earlier this record was in the name of the CMS-03 communication satellite, which weighed about 4,400 kg and which was installed in geosynchronous transfer orbit in November 2022.

Under which agreement is this launch taking place?

This launch is being done under the commercial agreement between ISRO's commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited, and AST SpaceMobile. About 15 minutes after launch, the satellite will separate from the rocket and be installed in its fixed orbit at an altitude of about 600 kilometers. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan is also present in Sriharikota to monitor the historic launch. He also recently visited Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati.

How powerful is the LVM3 rocket?

Technically speaking, the LVM3 rocket is 43.5 meters high, and its total weight is about 640 tonnes. It is a three-stage rocket, consisting of two solid strap-on boosters, a liquid core stage, and a cryogenic upper stage. It is considered to be ISRO's most powerful operational rocket.

What will the BlueBird Block-2 satellite do?

The BlueBird Block-2 satellite is part of AST SpaceMobile's global plan to deliver 4G and 5G services directly to mobile phones via satellite. The special thing is that this will not require any special hardware or change in the phone. This satellite has a massive antenna of 223 square meters, making it the largest commercial LEO communication satellite ever.

What benefit will the common people get from this network?

AST SpaceMobile claims that this network will provide facilities like voice calls, video calls, messaging, data streaming, and broadband internet to any corner of the world. The company has already launched five such BlueBird satellites in September 2024 and has partnership agreements with more than 50 mobile operators around the world.

It is noteworthy that LVM3 has already successfully launched two major missions of Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and OneWeb, into space. With this new launch, another major achievement is going to be added for both LVM3 and ISRO.