ISRO's LVM3 Rocket Soars to New Heights with Heaviest Payload Ever Launched
Image Source: Internet
India's Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a significant milestone in its commercial space push with the successful launch of its heavy-lift LVM3-M6 rocket. The rocket carried the BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft, a next-generation US communication satellite, into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) on Wednesday. This mission marks the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 launch vehicle and sets a new record for the heaviest payload launched into LEO, weighing 6,100 kg. The launch was undertaken under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, and AST SpaceMobile, a US-based company. The BlueBird Block-2 satellite is part of AST SpaceMobile's global LEO constellation, which aims to provide space-based cellular broadband directly to standard smartphones without the need for specialised hardware or modifications. The LVM3 rocket, standing 43.5 metres tall, is ISRO's most powerful operational rocket, with a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes. It features two S200 solid strap-on boosters, a liquid core stage, and a cryogenic upper stage. The satellite itself boasts a massive 223-square-metre phased-array antenna, making it the largest commercial communications satellite deployed in LEO to date. AST SpaceMobile's LEO constellation will enable 4G and 5G voice and video calls, text messaging, data streaming, and broadband internet for users worldwide. This mission is a significant step forward for ISRO's commercial space push, following previous flagship missions such as Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3.
