ISRO successfully launches its 'Bahubali' rocket with heaviest foreign satellite

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) delivered a historic festive gift to the nation on Wednesday, December 24, 2025. Executing a flawless LVM3-M6 mission, India's heaviest rocket, often nicknamed "Bahubali," successfully propelled the heaviest foreign satellite ever launched from Indian soil into orbit. The 640-tonne launcher roared off the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at precisely 08:54 IST, painting a trail of success across the morning sky.

The primary payload for this mission was AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block-2, a humongous 6.5-tonne communication satellite. This launch marked the sixth operational flight of the LVM3 and was a major commercial victory facilitated through NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). The satellite is designed to revolutionize space-based cellular broadband, and its successful deployment solidifies India's position as a preferred global destination for heavy-lift commercial satellite launches.

Following the launch, the ISRO Chief expressed immense pride, noting that the mission marked the agency's 101st orbital success. He highlighted the technical precision of the Bahubali rocket, which delivered an orbital performance with less than 2 km of dispersion—a feat considered among the best in the global space industry. The achievement is particularly significant as it demonstrates ISRO's capability to handle massive payloads that were previously outsourced to foreign agencies.