The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch BlueBird-6, the heaviest US-licensed satellite to be placed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), on December 15 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.The satellite will be launched using ISROās heaviest rocket, LVM3, from the Second Launch Pad in an exclusive commercial mission. Preparations are in full swing, and the countdown is expected to begin on December 14 after clearance from the Launch Authorisation Board.
Weighing about 6,500 kg, BlueBird-6 has been built by AST SpaceMobile and will be the first of the companyās next-generation satellites. It will carry the largest commercial phased array in LEO and is designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to smartphones.
The mission is being facilitated by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISROās commercial arm. This will be the second satellite broadband customer to fly on LVM3 after Eutelsat OneWeb, and the second US satellite launch by ISRO following the NISAR mission earlier this year.