India’s ‘Baahubali’ Rocket Launches Heaviest-Ever Satellite From Indian Soil

India achieved a historic milestone in its space journey on Tuesday as ISRO’s powerful ‘Baahubali’ rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)-M6, successfully placed the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil into orbit. The mission carried BlueBird Block-2 (BlueBird 6), a next-generation communications satellite developed by US-based AST SpaceMobile.

The 43.5-metre-tall rocket lifted off majestically at 8:55 am from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, located about 135 km east of Chennai. Powered by two massive S200 solid boosters, the launch marked another major step in India’s growing presence in the global commercial launch market.

After a flight lasting approximately 15 minutes, the BlueBird Block-2 satellite separated successfully from the rocket and was injected into its intended low-Earth orbit at an altitude of around 520 km.

Confirming the mission’s success, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, Dr V. Narayanan said, “LVM3-M6 has successfully and precisely injected the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite into the intended orbit. This is the heaviest satellite ever lifted using an Indian launcher and the third fully commercial mission of LVM3.”

He further added that the launch vehicle has demonstrated an excellent performance record, calling it “one of the best performances of any launch vehicle in the global arena.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded the achievement, describing it as a significant stride for India’s space sector. “The successful LVM3-M6 launch marks a proud milestone in India’s space journey. It strengthens our heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces India’s growing role in the global commercial launch market,” he said.

BlueBird Block-2 is part of AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation satellite constellation aimed at delivering space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard smartphones without the need for any special equipment.

The mission was executed under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, and AST SpaceMobile (AST & Science, LLC).

Launch Delayed Briefly for Safety

The launch was delayed by 90 seconds from its original scheduled time of 8:54 am after ISRO detected a potential collision risk along the rocket’s flight path due to space debris or satellite conjunction. ISRO officials clarified that such precautionary delays are becoming increasingly common as Earth’s orbital environment grows more congested with thousands of active satellites.

About LVM3

Developed by ISRO, the LVM3 is a three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle consisting of two solid strap-on boosters (S200), a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25). With a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes and a payload capacity of 4,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), LVM3 has become India’s most reliable heavy launcher.

Previously, the rocket has successfully carried missions such as Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb satellite launches. Its last mission, LVM3-M5/CMS-03, was successfully completed on November 2.

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