"Largest-ever commercial communications satellite in low earth orbit": AST SpaceMobile CEO on BlueBird 6 launch

Washington, DC [US], December 24 (ANI): Abel Avellan, founder and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, on Wednesday welcomed the successful launch of the BlueBird 6 satellite by India, congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ISRO and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) on what he described as a landmark achievement in commercial space communications.
In a post shared on X, Avellan said, "Congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi, @isro, and @NSIL_India on the successful launch of our BlueBird 6 satellite--the largest-ever commercial communications satellite in low Earth orbit."

Congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi, @isro, and @NSIL_India on the successful launch of our BlueBird 6 satellite—the largest-ever commercial communications satellite in low Earth orbit.🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

Perfect execution from both teams in India and the U.S. We are now in… pic.twitter.com/z7wzNodOsD

— Abel Avellan (@AbelAvellan) December 24, 2025

Emphasising the coordination involved in the mission, he said, "Perfect execution from both teams in India and the U.S."
Giving an update on the spacecraft after launch, Avellan added, "We are now in control of BlueBird 6 from our D.C. command centre and with nominal telemetry!"
His remarks followed the successful liftoff of India's heavy-lift Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)-M6, also known as 'Baahubali', from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
The rocket carried BlueBird 6, a next-generation communications satellite developed by US-based AST SpaceMobile, marking the heaviest payload ever launched by an Indian launcher.
The mission is aimed at enabling direct-to-smartphone broadband connectivity from space, removing the need for specialised ground equipment.
After a 24-hour countdown, the 43.5-metre-tall launch vehicle, powered by two S200 solid strap-on boosters, lifted off at 8:55 am from the second launch pad at Sriharikota, located about 135 km east of Chennai.
Around 15 minutes after liftoff, the BlueBird Block-2 satellite separated from the rocket and was injected into its designated Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of approximately 520 km.
"LVM3-M6 successfully and precisely" injected the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite into the intended orbit," said Dr V Narayanan, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO.
Highlighting the significance of the launch, Narayanan said, "This is the heaviest satellite ever lifted from Indian soil using an Indian launcher."
He added, "This is also the third fully commercial mission of LVM-3 and the vehicle has demonstrated its excellent track record," describing the mission as "one of the best performances of any launch vehicle in the global arena."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the achievement, calling the launch "a significant stride in India's space sector."
"The successful LVM3-M6 launch, placing the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil, the spacecraft of USA, BlueBird Block-2, into its intended orbit, marks a proud milestone in India's space journey," the Prime Minister said.
"It strengthens India's heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces our growing role in the global commercial launch market," he added.
BlueBird 6 is part of a new generation of BlueBird Block-2 satellites designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones.
The mission is being executed under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, and AST SpaceMobile.
ISRO said the launch was delayed by 90 seconds as a precautionary measure, with the liftoff time shifted from 8:54 am to 8 hours 55 minutes and 30 seconds due to the possibility of a conjunction or space debris along the flight path.
According to ISRO, such adjustments are routine as orbital space above Sriharikota becomes increasingly crowded.
Developed by ISRO, LVM3 is a three-stage launch vehicle comprising two solid strap-on motors (S200), a liquid core stage (L110) and a cryogenic upper stage (C25).
It has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes, stands 43.5 metres tall and has a payload capability of 4,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
In previous missions, the LVM3 has carried out the launches of Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3, along with two OneWeb missions that deployed a total of 72 satellites.
The previous LVM3 mission, LVM3-M5/CMS-03, was successfully carried out on November 2, ISRO said. (ANI)