ISRO to launch 9 major missions, including NASA’s Blue Bird satellite
ISRO will next launch the Blue Bird Block2 communication satellite in collaboration with NASA using its LVM-3 launch vehicle
By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru. After the successful launch of the NISAR satellite, ISRO chairman V Narayanan announced that the next collaborative mission with NASA, the launch of the Blue Bird Block2 communication satellite, will be among nine major launches planned from this spaceport by the end of the current fiscal year.
Narayanan said these missions are being executed under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Before the end of this financial year, nine major launches are planned. The next major launch is the LVM3-M5 Mission, where the LVM3 rocket will deploy a communication satellite CMS-02,” he said.
Among the significant upcoming missions is another collaboration with NASA. Following Axiom-4 and today’s GSLV-F16/NISAR mission, this partnership will see ISRO’s LVM-3 vehicle launch the Blue Bird Block2, a communication satellite for the US.
“The next one is the launch of Blue Bird Block2 satellite, a communication satellite of the USA. We are going to launch the satellite by using our LVM-3 vehicle,” he said without elaborating.
Additionally, ISRO’s trusted workhorse PSLV-C61 is set to launch OCEANSAT-3A, while GSLV-F18 would deploy GISAT-1A satellite.
“We are also planning to launch a couple of SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) missions,” Narayanan added.
Narayanan, also the Secretary of Department of Space, said after the LVM3-M5 mission, a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C63 is targeted for launching a user funded satellite.
This will be followed by the first PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) which has been realised by the industrial consortium called as the PSLV-N1. It is the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that a space sector reform was announced and this is the fruit of that reform.
The first launcher is going to be rolled out from the private industry consortium, which is going to launch a technology demonstrating satellite wherein we are going to demonstrate more than 30 technologies, including electric propulsion, quantum communication, so many technologies are planned to be demonstrated,” he said.
Among the future launches, the ISRO chief said the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F17) would deploy a navigation satellite NVS-03 within the current financial year.
ISRO on Wednesday, July 30, successfully placed NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission onboard a GSLV-F16 rocket from this spaceport.
Blue Bird Block2 Status
BlueBird Block 2 FM1
Launch Time: August, 2025
Rocket: LVM-3
Status: Active
Price: $62.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 11,898 kN
Payload to LEO: 10,000 kg
Payload to GTO: 4,000 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 2
Rocket Height: 43.4 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.0 m
Mission Details
BlueBird Block 2 FM1
“The LVM3 rocket is slated to orbit one Block 2 BlueBird satellite of AST SpaceMobile weighing about six ton into Low Earth Orbit. The launch is expected to happen in August this year.
AST SpaceMobile will be the second satellite broadband customer using the LVM3 rocket.
The first one was Eutelsat OneWeb, which launched a total of 72 satellites with two LVM3 rockets in 2022 and 2023.
When pointed out that AST SpaceMobile will be launching more than 50 satellites New Space India Limited CMD, Dr. Radhakrishnan said: “We are also in discussions for future launches. We will first launch one satellite,” Radhakrishnan added.
Broadband Direct to Device from Space
According to AST SpaceMobile, it is building the first and only global cellular broadband network in space to offer broadband connectivity direct to mobile devices based on its intellectual property and patent portfolio.
The company plans to have a constellation of over 50 satellites to be launched by various rockets.
In a business update AST SpaceMobile had said: “Accelerated satellite manufacturing with planning and production of 40 Block 2 BlueBird satellites underway at AST SpaceMobile manufacturing facilities in Midland, Texas.”
“Additionally, accelerated the procurement of components and materials needed to complete fully assembled microns and phased array for over 50 satellites in total,” AST SpaceMobile said.
The next-generation Block 2 BlueBirds are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird satellites in orbit today, accelerating the goal to achieve 24/7 continuous cellular broadband service coverage. The service will target approximately 100% U.S. nationwide coverage from space with over 5,600 coverage cells, with beams designed to support a capacity of up to 40 MHz, enabling peak data transmission speeds up to 120 Mbps, supporting voice, full data and video applications. The Block 2 BlueBirds, featuring up to 2,400 square foot communications arrays, will be the largest ever commercially deployed in low Earth orbit once launched.
Manufacturer/Operator: AST SpaceMobile
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 5,850.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit
The US company also said it has exercised option for additional orbital launches, with full contracted launch capacity now for approximately 60 satellites during 2025 and 2026.
The company also completed bring-up and initial validation of novel ASIC, a custom, low-power chip designed to support up to 10,000 MHz in processing bandwidth per satellite with peak data transmissions speeds of up to 120 Mbps.
“Block 2 BlueBird satellites span an unprecedented 2,400 square feet, more than 3x larger than the first five BlueBird satellites in orbit today,” AST SpaceMobile added.
ISRO Gearing Up for More LVM3 Commercial Launches
Be that as it may, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is getting ready its LVM3 rocket to orbit Block 2 BlueBird satellite.
On 15th March 2025 ISRO Chairman Dr.V.Narayanan flagged off the Cryogenic Upper Stage of LVM3 rocket from the ISRO Propulsion Complex in the state of Tamil Nadu in India.
The stage is powered by the indigenous high thrust Cryogenic Engine (CE20) with a propellant loading of 28.5 tons.
According to NSIL’s Radhakrishnan, the company has signed up contracts for other Indian rockets – Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for 2026-27 and for Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) with Space Machines Company, an Australian-Indian in-space servicing firm.
The SSLV rocket will orbit Space Machines Company’s second Optimus spacecraft weighing 450kg, the largest Australian-designed and built spacecraft so far. According to NSIL, the proposed mission will mark a defining moment for both nations in the area of space collaboration.
