‘BlueBird 6′ : launch is praised by PM Modi as a’significant stride’ in India’s space industry
BlueBird 6: The successful launch of Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)-M6 carrying BlueBird 6 was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, who described it as a “significant stride” in India’s space industry.
India’s BlueBird 6-carrying Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)-M6 departed Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on Wednesday.
PM Modi said in a post on X, “A major advancement in India’s space industry… An important turning point in India’s space history has been reached with the successful LVM3-M6 launch, which put the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil—the American spacecraft BlueBird Block-2—into its planned orbit.
It enhances India’s capacity for heavy-lift launches and solidifies our expanding position in the international commercial launch industry. This reflects our attempts to create an Aatmanirbhar Bharat as well. Kudos to our diligent engineers and space scientists. “India keeps reaching new heights in the realm of space,” he continued.
Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, also commended ISRO for the launch’s success.
“Congratulations to Team ISRO for the successful launch of LVM3-M6 carrying BlueBird Block-2,” Singh said in a post on X. ISRO has achieving accomplishment after success under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi, highlighting India’s increasing dominance in space technology.
With a weight of 6,100 kg, the communication satellite is the largest payload ever launched by LVM3 into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite 03, which weighed around 4,400 kg and was safely launched by ISRO on November 2 in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), was the previous biggest.
The satellite is a component of the upcoming BlueBird Block-2 communication satellites, which are intended to provide regular mobile handsets direct access to space-based cellular broadband connection.
This mission represents the LVM3 launch vehicle’s sixth operational flight. The enormous 6,100 kilogram payload is intended to provide high-speed 4G and 5G connection straight to smartphones, making it a major advancement in telecommunications technology.
After a 24-hour countdown, the 43.5-meter-tall rocket, which is propelled by two S200 solid boosters, took off at 8:55 a.m. from the second launch site, which is about 135 kilometers east of Chennai.
According to ISRO, the spacecraft BlueBird Block-2 atop the rocket is anticipated to detach and reach its intended orbit at a height of around 520 kilometers after about 15 minutes of flight.
The US-based business AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC) and ISRO’s commercial arm, NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), have a commercial arrangement that includes this project.
Meanwhile, the BlueBird Block-2 satellite will be launched into Low Earth Orbit by the LVM3-M6.
In addition to being the biggest commercial communications satellite, this one will carry the heaviest payload that LVM3 has ever launched from Indian territory.