NPN

Sriharikota, December 24: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the Bluebird Block-2 Bahubali satellite. This is India's first commercial satellite launch. It successfully completed three stages and was put into orbit. ISRO scientists congratulated each other for this success. Bluebird Block-2 weighs about 6100 kilograms. This is the heaviest payload sent to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) using ISRO's LVM3. The launch is being carried out under a commercial agreement facilitated by ISRO's commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). Earlier, the launch was scheduled to take place at 8.54 am from Sriharikota, but it was later launched at 8:55 am. Speaking about the successful launch of Bluebird-2, Prime Minister Modi said that this is a major achievement in the space sector of India. He said that it was the US spacecraft Bluebird Block-2, the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil, that was successfully delivered to its intended orbit. The LVM3 developed by ISRO has a three-stage design. It comprises two solid strap-on motors (S200), a liquid core stage (L110) and a cryogenic upper stage (C25). LVM3 has carried a total of 72 satellites by launching Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 and two OneWeb missions. The spacecraft has a 223-square-metre phased array antenna, which is the largest commercial communications antenna deployed in low Earth orbit. The satellite is designed to provide connectivity in areas where terrestrial networks are limited, including high altitudes and disaster-prone zones. Bluebird Block-2 is part of a low-Earth-orbit constellation aimed at enabling direct mobile connectivity through satellites. The system is designed to support voice and video calls, text messaging, broadband data and streaming on 4G and 5G networks without the need for special antennas or satellite equipment on the user's device. Bluebird Block-2 separated from the rocket after about 15 minutes of flight and successfully reached its intended orbit at an altitude of about 520 km. It is the heaviest satellite launched by an Indian rocket from Indian soil. The satellite was launched as part of a commercial agreement between ISRO's commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), and US-based AST SpaceMobile. The 43.5-metre-tall and 640-tonne LVM3 rocket is known as Bahubali. Many companies, including Musk's Star Link or OneWeb, are offering satellite-based internet services. But here, there is no direct satellite connection to the phone. The signal reaches the antenna at home through the satellite and then the phone can get internet access through WiFi. However, American AST Space Mobile has developed this Bluebird-6 satellite so that its smartphones can get internet access directly from the satellite.