Daijiworld Media Network – Sriharikota

Sriharikota, Dec 24: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a major milestone by successfully launching the heaviest rocket carrying a foreign satellite using the ‘Bahubali’ LVM3. The LVM3 rocket, which carried the heaviest foreign satellite ever launched from Indian soil, entered orbit flawlessly.

The LVM3–M6 rocket lifted off at 8.54 am on December 24, from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The massive launch vehicle, weighing about 640 tonnes, carried the 6.5-tonne communication satellite ‘BlueBird Block–2’.

The satellite, belonging to a private company based in the United States, was successfully deployed into a low Earth orbit at an altitude of 520 to 600 kilometres without any obstacles. This mission marked the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 rocket and ISRO’s 101st successful orbital mission.

The three-stage rocket comprises two S200 solid boosters, an L110 liquid-fuel core stage and a C25 cryogenic upper stage. The launch was watched live by lacs of viewers across India and abroad. The responsibility for the commercial launch was handled by NewSpace India Limited.

Speaking after the launch, the ISRO chairman said, “Placing the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil into orbit is a new milestone for the country’s space programme. The LVM3 has demonstrated extremely precise orbital performance, further strengthening India’s credibility in the global space sector.”