India successfully carried out another significant space mission as ISRO, through its commercial arm NewSpace India Limited, launched the United States’ AST SpaceMobile BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite on 24 December 2025 at 8:55 AM from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The satellite was placed into Low Earth Orbit by ISRO’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM3, marking its sixth operational flight and reinforcing ISRO’s reliable launch capabilities. The mission was particularly notable as BlueBird Block-2 is the largest commercial communication satellite deployed in Low Earth Orbit and also the heaviest payload launched by LVM3 from Indian soil.
Owned by AST SpaceMobile (USA), BlueBird Block-2 is part of a global LEO constellation designed to enable direct-to-mobile connectivity, supporting 4G and 5G calls, messaging, video, and data services worldwide.
