Countdown Begins for ISRO's Bluebird Block-2 Launch from Sriharikota
Countdown Begins for ISRO's Bluebird Block-2 Launch from Sriharikota
ISRO gears up for the LVM3-M6 mission carrying the 6,100-kg Bluebird Block-2 satellite, set to boost space-based broadband.
Sriharikota — The 24-hour countdown has begun for ISRO's Bluebird Block-2 mission, with the heavy-lift rocket LVM3-M6 poised to lift off from the spaceport's second launch pad at 8:54 am. The mission marks a pivotal commercial venture for India, carrying a 6,100-kg communication satellite that would become the heaviest payload yet placed into Low Earth Orbit by the LVM3. The previous record-holder was the 4,400-kg LVM3-M5 satellite, launched successfully on November 2. This flight is undertaken under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Ltd, ISRO's commercial arm, and AST SpaceMobile, the U.S.-based company building a space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly from smartphones.
