Countdown to mammoth liftoff begins: ISRO's 'Bahubali' rocket to hurl heaviest American satellite BlueBird-6 into space on Dec 15

BlueBird-6 is part of a broader constellation rollout planned through 2026 to provide non-continuous direct-to-device mobile broadband in regions lacking terrestrial connectivity

ISRO will launch the 6.5-tonne BlueBird-6 commercial communication satellite on December 15, according to a TOI report.

Built by AST SpaceMobile, it will be the heaviest American satellite ever launched by India and will fly aboard the agency's heavy-lift LVM3 'Bahubali' rocket.

Texas-based AST SpaceMobile - which is developing a space-based cellular broadband network - said BlueBird-6 is the first in its next-generation series and is scheduled for a December 15 liftoff.

Once deployed, the satellite will unfold to a massive 2,400 sq ft phased array, making it the largest commercial antenna in low-Earth orbit.

The Block-2 satellite is 3.5 times larger than earlier BlueBirds 1-5 and will offer ten times more data capacity. BlueBird-6 is part of a broader constellation rollout planned through 2026 to provide non-continuous direct-to-device mobile broadband in regions lacking terrestrial connectivity.

Each satellite can deliver up to 10,000 MHz of bandwidth, operating in collaboration with telecom operators using licensed spectrum. The spacecraft reached India on October 19 and was transported to Sriharikota for integration with the LVM3, followed by fuelling and final checks.

The mission is being executed by NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm.

The LVM3 - which recently placed the 4.4-tonne CMS-3 satellite in orbit on November 2 - can carry 8,000 kg to low-Earth orbit and 4,000 kg to GTO. A human-rated variant of the LVM3 is also in the works for the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send three Indian astronauts to space in 2027.