Watch: ISRO’s ‘Bahubali’ Rocket Successfully Places 6,000-kg US Satellite into Orbit

ISRO’s LVM3-M6 ‘Bahubali’ rocket created history on Christmas Eve by successfully launching the 6,100-kg BlueBird Block-2 US communication satellite, the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil. The mission, conducted from Sriharikota, was part of a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) and US-based AST SpaceMobile.

The satellite was placed into a 518 km circular orbit in a textbook launch and aims to provide direct-to-mobile 4G and 5G connectivity worldwide. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO, calling the mission a proud milestone in India’s space journey.

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