LVM3-M6 was the sixth flight and third commercial flight of ISRO's LVM3 rocket and the launch is marked as the 100th Orbital launch by ISRO since the first launch of SLV-3. Launched on 24 December 2025 from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, the mission successfully deployed the AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird-6 (BlueBird Block-2 FM1) communications satellite into low Earth orbit.[2][3] The launch was delayed by 41 seconds to prevent in-orbit conjuntion with another satellite.[4]
| LVM3 launch | |
|---|---|
| Launch | 24 December 2025, 03:55 UTC[1] |
| Operator | ISRO / NSIL |
| Pad | SDSC SLP |
| Payload | BlueBird-6 (BlueBird Block 2 FM1) |
| LVM3 launches | |
Mission overview
edit- Mass:
- Payload weight:6,100 kg (13,400 lb)[1]
- Overall height:
- Propellant:
- Stage 1 : Composite Solid (Solid Stage)
- Stage 2 : Earth Storable Liquid (Liquid Stage)
- Stage 3 : Cryogenic Liquid (Liquid Stage)
- Propellant mass:
- Stage 1: 205,000 kg (452,000 lb)
- Stage 2: 116,000 kg (256,000 lb)
- Stage 3: 28,000 kg (62,000 lb)
Payload
editReferences
edit- 1 2 "BlueBird Block 2 FM1". nextspaceflight.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ "LVM3-M6 / BlueBird Block-2 Mission". ISRO. 19 December 2025. Archived from the original on 30 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ Wall, Mike (24 December 2025) [23 December 2025]. "Indian rocket launches record-breaking BlueBird 6 smartphone satellite to orbit". Space.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ "Indian Space Situational Awareness Report (ISSAR) for 2025 Released". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
- ↑ Robinson-Smith, Will (17 November 2024). "AST SpaceMobile secures multi-launch agreements with Blue Origin, ISRO and SpaceX". Archived from the original on 29 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ↑ "ISRO's BlueBird-6 launch rescheduled to December 21: Heaviest US satellite to boost global broadband in major Indo-US mission". The Times of India. 15 December 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 31 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.