The Indian Space Research Organisation has confirmed that its PSLV-C62 mission is set for launch on January 12, with liftoff scheduled at 10:17 AM IST. The mission will take place from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. ISRO officially shared the update through its social media channel, reaffirming the organization’s upcoming launch calendar.
This announcement comes shortly after ISRO’s recent achievement on December 24, when it successfully launched the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite for AST SpaceMobile, a company based in the United States. The launch was conducted from the same Sriharikota facility at 8:55 AM IST. Following a precise orbital injection, the satellite was placed into its intended orbit, and the mission was declared fully successful.
The BlueBird Block-2 spacecraft represents a significant advancement in space-based communication technology. It has been designed to enable high-speed cellular broadband connectivity directly to smartphones across the globe, without the need for ground-based towers. Notably, this satellite stands out as the heaviest payload ever deployed into Low Earth Orbit using ISRO’s LVM3 launch vehicle.
ISRO clarified that the LVM3-M6 mission was a dedicated commercial operation carried out using the LVM3 rocket. The primary objective was to deploy the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into Low Earth Orbit on behalf of AST SpaceMobile. This flight marked the sixth operational mission of the LVM3 launch vehicle, reinforcing its reliability for complex commercial deployments.
The LVM3 rocket, fully developed by ISRO, is a three-stage launch system featuring two solid strap-on motors, a liquid core stage, and a cryogenic upper stage. The vehicle has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes and stands 43.5 meters tall. It is capable of carrying payloads of up to 4,200 kilograms to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, making it a key asset in India’s growing commercial launch portfolio.
