The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch one of the heaviest commercial satellites India has handled. The BlueBird‑6, weighing approximately 6.5 tonnes, arrived in India from the United States on 19 October. The New Indian Express
The satellite will be launched on ISRO’s most powerful rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, though the exact date is yet to be finalized. Experts say this mission marks a major milestone for ISRO’s commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which is increasingly generating revenue through international launch contracts. The New Indian Express
BlueBird-6 is being flown to India aboard the Antonov cargo aircraft, the world’s largest, and was transported from Chennai over the road to the spaceport. The client is AST SpaceMobile, a Texas-based telecom company. The mission is scheduled for launch between November 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. In the coming months, AST SpaceMobile plans a series of satellites (BlueBird-7 to BlueBird-16) to roll out every one to two months. Each such satellite is expected to deliver up to 10,000 MHz of bandwidth for regions with weak terrestrial connectivity. The New Indian Express
This development underscores India’s growing role in the global commercial space sector. With this launch, ISRO is not just placing national satellites but also handling large-scale international payloads, a capability that enhances India’s competitiveness and opens up new revenue streams for its space industry.
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