20.12.2025

India’s LVM3 heavy-lift rocket is set to carry a communications satellite for US-based AST SpaceMobile on 24 December, marking another commercial mission for Isro.

“The launch of LVM3-M6 is scheduled on 24 December 2025 at 08:54 hrs IST from the Second Launch Pad, SDSC SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space Centre), Sriharikota,” Isro said in a post on X.

Officials said the LVM3-M6 mission is a dedicated commercial launch of AST SpaceMobile Inc.’s “BlueBird Block-2” satellite, undertaken under a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Isro’s commercial arm.

AST SpaceMobile said on its website that the next-generation BlueBird satellites are engineered to provide continuous, high-speed cellular broadband services directly to standard smartphones across the globe.

The company added that the satellites are equipped with antenna arrays spanning nearly 2,400 square feet, making them the largest commercial phased arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit, exceeding the earlier benchmark set by its first-generation BlueBird satellites, which had arrays of 693 square feet.

Quelle: BW BUSINESSWORLD