ISRO Launches Communication Satellite Bluebird Block-2 From Sriharikota

Last Updated:December 24, 2025, 08:59 IST

ISRO’s LVM3-M6 mission was launched on Wednesday after a brief 90-second delay due to a potential space debris conjunction along its flight path.

The LVM3-M6 / BlueBird Block-2 Mission (Image: ISRO)

ISRO’s heavy-lift Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3-M6) was launched on Wednesday morning after a brief delay of 90 seconds.

The launch, originally scheduled for 8.54 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota, was delayed to 8.55.30 am.

According to NDTV, the delay came as a precautionary measure due to a possible space debris conjunction along the flight path.

The report claimed that ISRO detected a potential risk of collision involving debris or another satellite passing through the rocket’s trajectory.

In a post on X, ISRO confirmed the revised schedule, stating, “Launch Day for #LVM3M6. LVM3-M6 lifts off today at 08:55:30 IST with BlueBird Block-2 from SDSC SHAR."

A day earlier, ISRO had announced that the mission was set to launch on December 24, 2025, at 8.54 am, with the final countdown underway.

As per information shared by ISRO, the LVM3-M6/BlueBird Block-2 mission is a dedicated commercial launch, marking the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 launch vehicle.

The mission was carried out under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, and US-based AST SpaceMobile.

LVM3, developed by ISRO, is a three-stage launch vehicle comprising two S200 solid strap-on motors, a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25).

The rocket stands 43.5 metres tall, has a lift-off mass of about 640 tonnes, and is capable of carrying payloads of up to 4,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.

In previous missions, the LVM3 had successfully launched major payloads, including Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb missions carrying a total of 72 satellites.

Its last flight, the LVM3-M5/CMS-03 mission, was successfully completed on November 2, 2025.

According to a PTI report, the BlueBird Block-2 satellite is part of a next-generation Low Earth Orbit constellation designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones.

The satellite features a large phased array and is intended to enable 4G and 5G voice calls, video, data and messaging services across wide regions of the globe.

PTI reported that ISRO Chairman V Narayanan visited the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala on December 23 ahead of the launch.

After liftoff, the satellite is expected to separate from the launch vehicle approximately 15 minutes into the flight and begin its mission in Low Earth Orbit.

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