LVM3-M6 is the Sixth Operational Flight of LVM3 and the third dedicated commercial mission to launch the BlueBird Block-2 satellite of AST SpaceMobile, USA.
- Launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, the mission is a part of commercial agreement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and AST, a US based Company.
- Incorporated in 2019, as a wholly owned Government Company under Department of Space, NSIL serves as the commercial arm of ISRO.
About Blue Bird Block -2
- Part of a global LEO constellation: Provides direct-to-mobile connectivity through satellite; Enable 4G and 5G voice and video calls, texts, streaming, and data, etc.
- LEO is an orbit relatively close to Earth’s surface with an altitude around 160-1000 km, useful for satellite imaging and is the site of International Space Station (ISS).
- Key Features: 223m² phased array, making it largest commercial communications satellite ever deployed into LEO.
- It is also the heaviest payload (6,100 kg) to be launched by LVM3.
About ISRO’s LVM3 Launch Vehicle
- Three Stages: Comprising two solid strap-on motors (S200), a liquid core stage (L110), and a cryogenic upper stage (C25).
- Key Features: Lift-off mass of 640 tonnes, payload capability of 4,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
- GTO is an elliptical orbit with an altitude around 37,000 km, for transferring spacecraft to geosynchronous (and also geostationary) Earth orbits.
- Previous Missions: Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and two OneWeb missions carrying 72 satellites.
