Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing a new launch that will bring a heavy satellite, BlueBird‑6, into orbit by the end of the year. The 6.5‑tonne satellite, built by U.S. firm AST SpaceMobile, will travel into low‑Earth orbit on India’s powerful LVM‑3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan told reporters that the satellite is finished and that the launch vehicle is ready. “We will announce the exact date when the Prime Minister is ready,” he said. The satellite arrived in India from the United States on October 19 and is now moving through final checks.
The collaboration follows ISRO’s recent success in July, when it launched the NASA‑ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission (NISAR). That launch proved that India can carry out joint projects with the U.S. space agency and boosted confidence in future partnerships.
While ASRO plans the BlueBird‑6 launch, Dr Narayanan also discussed the progress of the Gaganyaan human‑spaceflight program. He said that about 85‑90 % of the subsystem work for Gaganyaan is complete. ISRO will carry out integrated tests and software validation before it runs three uncrewed test flights. Those flights will lay the groundwork for a crewed mission that the agency hopes to launch sometime next year.
The news was announced during the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC 2025), a three‑day event hosted from November 3‑5 at Bharat Mandapam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open the convocation in front of scientists, industry leaders, young innovators and women entrepreneurs. ESTIC aims to showcase India’s scientific potential and strengthen collaboration among 13 science and technology departments, startups and academia.
Dr A Rajarajan, director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, also spoke at ESTIC. He highlighted India’s plan to develop a Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV) capable of lifting a 75,000‑kg payload into low‑Earth orbit. The goal is to land an Indian astronaut on the Moon as part of Chandrayaan by 2040, and Rajarajan underlined the need for a strong manufacturing ecosystem and industry partnerships to meet that timeline.
With the launch of BlueBird‑6, the NISAR success, and the Gaganyaan program advancing, ISRO continues to expand India’s role in international space cooperation and solidify its position as a key player in global satellite launches.
Source: ianslive
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