The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch the Block-2 BlueBird communications satellite developed by the U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile.

This launch symbolises a significant step in Indo-U.S. space collaboration and is scheduled for around August 2025 from ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, utilising the LVM3 (previously known as GSLV-MK III), one of ISRO’s most powerful launch vehicles.

The BlueBird satellite weighs approximately 6,500 kg (or about six tons) and is designed to operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

This satellite aims to revolutionise mobile communications by enabling broadband connectivity directly to mobile devices from space without reliance on traditional ground towers.

It features a very large 64-square-meter antenna, which facilitates direct satellite-to-smartphone connections, allowing users to make calls and access broadband internet services globally, with a primary focus on U.S. nationwide coverage.

The Block-2 BlueBird satellites boast up to ten times the bandwidth capacity of earlier BlueBird satellites, with coverage encompassing about 5,600 cells and a capacity up to 40 MHz supporting peak data speeds of up to 120 Mbps, suitable for voice, data, and video applications. The communications array size is unprecedented at about 2,400 square feet, making it the largest commercially deployed satellite of its kind in LEO once launched.

As per ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, the BlueBird satellite was expected to arrive in India by September 2025, with the launch planned within three to four months from then. Although there was a developmental delay of around three months, the mission is now back on track.

ISRO is actively preparing the LVM3 rocket for this launch, having recently flagged off the cryogenic upper stage powering the rocket.

The satellite is part of a broader Indo-U.S. strategic space partnership, following the successful launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Earth observation satellite on July 30, 2025, aboard a GSLV-F16 rocket. NISAR has entered a critical 90-day commissioning phase, emphasising continued Indo-U.S. collaboration.

This launch is also part of a busy ISRO launch schedule under the guidance of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, including other missions such as CMS-02 and OCEANSAT-3A, with plans for future small satellite launches and continued advancements in space technology collaboration with the U.S.

Alongside BlueBird, ISRO is also progressing with the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, targeting its first uncrewed mission in December 2025 and a crewed mission by early 2027, as well as plans for India's own space station by 2035, reinforcing India's position as a significant spacefaring nation.

Chairman Narayanan has reassured that despite concerns about U.S. trade policies, the strategic technology partnership between India and the U.S. will continue without disruption, underscoring robust cooperation in science and technology.

The BlueBird satellite launch represents a crucial milestone not only in satellite communications technology but also in reinforcing and expanding the Indo-U.S. cooperation in space, leveraging ISRO's launch capabilities with AST SpaceMobile's innovative broadband satellite technology.

Agencies