Why in news?
ISRO plans to deploy BlueBird-6 satellite using the LVM3 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, with the launch rescheduled to December 21, 2025, due to extended pre-launch checks.​
About BlueBird-6
- BlueBird-6 is a next-generation low-Earth orbit (LEO) communications satellite developed by US-based AST SpaceMobile
- Its enable’s the direct-to-device broadband connectivity from space, bypassing traditional ground infrastructure.​
Key Specifications
- The satellite weighs 6.5 tonnes, marking ISRO's heaviest US commercial payload to date.
- It features the largest commercial phased-array antenna in LEO at nearly 2,400 square feet—3.5 times larger than prior BlueBird models with 10 times the data capacity.​
Mission Purpose
- BlueBird-6 supports global broadband access for underserved regions, including rural Asia, Africa, and North America, by providing low-latency signals directly to mobile devices and up to 10,000 MHz of bandwidth.
- The mission, handled by ISRO's commercial arm NSIL, strengthens Indo-US
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