ISRO’S BAHUBALI RAISES HOPE FOR MISSIONS AHEAD

I HE Indian Space Research Organisation flexed its muscles on Wednesday by placing into orbit the heaviest satellite it has launched so far-the 6.1-tonne BlueBird Block 2 designed by a private American company.

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The heavy communication satellite is part of a constellation of low Earth orbit missions that aim to provide mobile satellite connectivity across time zones. The launch resulted from a commercial deal between Isro's business arm NewSpace India and the Nasdaq-listed AST SpaceMobile. Isro also launched the company's first satellite, Blue Walker 1, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in 2019. Until Wednesday, the heaviest payload lifted by Isro was on November 2, when it launched India's own 4.4-tonne communication satellite GSAT-7R into a geosynchronous transfer orbit.