The Indian space agency on Wednesday launched a LVM-3 rocket carrying India's heaviest-ever satellite — BlueBird Block-2 — from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in southern India.

BlueBird Block-2 weighs 6,100 kilograms (over 6 tons), making it the largest-ever commercial communications satellite to be deployed in low Earth orbit (LEO) and "the heaviest payload to be launched from Indian soil," according to the space agency.

The LVM3-M6 rocket, a launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), was launched at 8.55 a.m. local time (0330 GMT). The satellite, built by the US-based company AST SpaceMobile, was successfully injected into the intended orbit, the ISRO said.

India stepping up its space ambitions

The ISRO plans to use a modified version of the LVM-3 rocket for future space missions, including the human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan mission.

The milestone launch was lauded by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "a significant stride" for the space sector.

"It strengthens India's heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces our growing role in the global commercial launch market," he said in a statement.

India is trying to secure its place in the commercial satellite business as its phone, internet and other companies seek to expand and improve communications.

The country is also preparing an unmanned mission to the moon ahead of its first human spaceflight, which is set for 2027.

Editor's note: This article was corrected on December 26, 2025. An initial version said that the LVM3-M6 rocket was American-made, and the satellite Indian. In fact, the LVM3-M6 was developed by the Indian Space Research Organization, while the satellite it was carrying was built in the US.

Edited by Darko Janjevic