24 December 2025 year Fr. 03:25 UTC from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, India using a launch vehicle «LVM-3» launch of communication spacecraft was carried out «BlueBird Block 2 FM1».
Satellites of the new generation «BlueBird Block 2 FM1» AST SpaceMobile company in 10 times will exceed the bandwidth of BlueBird satellites, that are in orbit today, which will speed up the achievement of the goal of providing subscribers with continuous 24/7 broadband cellular coverage.
The service will cover approx 100 % territory of the USA, having over 5600 coverage cells, with bandwidth up to 40 MHz, providing a peak data transfer rate of up to 120 Mbps, maintaining voice communication, transfer of full data and video applications.
KA «BlueBird Block 2 FM1» has a phased array antenna area 223 m², making it the largest commercial communications satellite, ever deployed in low Earth orbit.
«LVM-3» – it is a three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle, developed by ISRO. It is mainly used to launch communication satellites into geostationary orbit. Also, the rocket should launch crewed missions as part of India's human spaceflight program. Currently, this is the most powerful launch vehicle, created by India.
«LVM-3» consists of two lateral solid fuel boosters, one central stage with two engines and an upper cryogenic stage. The overall length of the rocket is 43,5 meters, full take-off weight 640 T, payload fairing diameter 5 city.
«LVM-3» capable of launching spacecraft with a mass of up to 4000 kg to the geosynchronous transition orbit and to 8000 kg into low Earth orbit to 600 km.
At the moment of the group is 5 KA. This launch will expand the "BlueBird" spacecraft group by another 1 KA. AST SpaceMobile aims to create a group of 60 KA.
According to the CCS