ISRO ’ S LVM3-M6 to Launch its December 24 Mission

Nellore: The Indian Space Research Organisation is climb another pinnacle by launching its heaviest-ever satellite to space on December 24, using its ‘Bahubali’ rocket on the day before Christmas.

India’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM3 will launch the 6,100- kg BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite for a US firm, AST SpaceMobile, USA, into low Earth orbit (LEO). The LEO refers to a height of up to 2,000 km above the Earth. Typically rockets can launch heavier satellites till the LEO. It is expected that the BlueBird will be placed about 500 km above the Earth.

The LVM3 also holds the record for the heaviest satellite launch from Indian soil, the 4,400-kg CMS-03 which was launched to the geostationary transfer orbit of about 36,000 km above the Earth.

With BlueBird Block-2 on board, LVM3-M6 is scheduled to take off from the spaceport at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 8.54 am on December 24. This will be the sixth operational flight of LVM3, all of them successful.

The LVM3 is a three-stage launch vehicle powered by two massive solid strap-on boosters, a liquid core stage and a cryogenic upper stage. It stands 43.5 metres tall with a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes.

The Bahubali has previously launched the Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb missions carrying 72 satellites.

The upcoming LVM3-M6 mission is especially significant as it will deploy the largest commercial communications satellite ever placed in Low Earth Orbit. It is also the heaviest payload launched by LVM3 from Indian soil, setting a new benchmark for the launch vehicle.

When it is deployed, the BlueBird Block-2 is stated to have an communication spreading about 223 sq m. The satellite from the AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation constellation is designed to deliver space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones, without the need for specialised equipment.