India’s ‘Baahubali’ rocket sets new benchmark, lifts heaviest satellite ever from Indian soil

In a landmark achievement for India’s space ambitions, the formidable ‘Baahubali’ rocket—Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)-M6 — successfully launched from Sriharikota early December 24, carrying the heaviest payload ever lifted by an Indian launcher.

The mission deployed BlueBird 6, a cutting-edge communications satellite developed by US space innovator AST SpaceMobile, aimed at delivering broadband connectivity directly from orbit to ordinary smartphones—no additional hardware needed.

At precisely 8:55 am, after a meticulously executed 24-hour countdown, the towering 43.5-meter LVM3 rocket thundered off from the second launch pad at the Sriharikota spaceport, approximately 135 kilometers east of Chennai.

Propelled by two powerful S200 solid boosters, the rocket soared through a 15-minute flight before releasing BlueBird Block-2 into its designated orbit, approximately 520 kilometers above Earth.

“LVM3-M6 has successfully and precisely injected the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into its intended orbit,” confirmed Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO. “This marks the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil on an Indian vehicle, and our third fully commercial mission on LVM3, underscoring the rocket’s exceptional reliability and performance. Globally, it ranks among the best.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the launch as a “significant stride” in India’s expanding space capabilities. “The successful placement of the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil reaffirms India’s prowess in heavy-lift launches and strengthens our presence in the global commercial space market,” he said.

BlueBird 6 is part of the next generation of BlueBird Block-2 satellites designed to revolutionize cellular broadband by providing space-based connectivity directly to standard mobile phones worldwide, bypassing the need for specialized ground equipment.

The launch was executed under a commercial partnership between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, and AST SpaceMobile.

In a testament to ISRO’s commitment to safety amid an increasingly crowded orbital environment, the launch was deliberately delayed by 90 seconds from the original 8:54 am schedule. This precaution avoided potential collision risks posed by space debris and satellite conjunctions—a growing challenge as thousands of satellites orbit overhead.

About LVM3

Developed by ISRO, the LVM3 is a three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle featuring two solid strap-on boosters (S200), a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25). Weighing 640 tonnes and standing 43.5 meters tall, it can carry payloads up to 4,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

LVM3’s proven track record includes missions like Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 lunar explorations, and launching 72 OneWeb satellites across two missions. Its previous successful mission, LVM3-M5/CMS-03, launched on November 2 this year.