ISRO to launch communication satellite of US-based AST SpaceMobile

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) LVM3 rocket will launch in March a communication satellite of a US-based firm AST SpaceMobile that plans to provide space-based cellular broadband network services on smartphones.

"The commercial LVM3-M5 mission, set for March, will deploy BlueBird Block-2 satellites under a contract with the US-based AST SpaceMobile," an official statement said.

The statement came after Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh reviewed the functioning of the Department of Space with senior officials, including the outgoing ISRO chairman S Somanath, his successor V Narayanan and Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).

Narayanan, who will succeed Somanath on January 14, during the meeting outlined a strategic roadmap for expanding the ISRO’s global footprint.

The joint NASA-ISRO satellite – NISAR – and a navigation satellite NVS-02 are set for launch in February on board two separate missions of the GSLV rocket, it added.

With ambitious projects on the horizon, including the first "uncrewed" orbital mission under "Gaganyaan", India’s space exploration efforts are poised for groundbreaking achievements.

The ISRO has lined up significant missions showcasing technological prowess and international collaboration, which include the launch of Gaganyaan’s uncrewed orbital test mission.

"This critical endeavour will pave the way for India's human spaceflight program, aiming to validate systems for crew safety and recovery," the statement said.

In addition, two GSLV missions, a commercial launch of LVM3 and the much-anticipated ISRO-NASA collaboration on the NISAR satellite are slated for the coming months.

The GSLV-F15 mission in January will carry the NVS-02 navigation satellite to augment the NavIC constellation, bolstering India’s positioning and navigation capabilities with indigenously developed atomic clocks.

In February, the GSLV-F16 mission will launch NISAR, a sophisticated Earth observation satellite co-developed with NASA.

Equipped with advanced radar imaging technology, NISAR will provide critical data on agriculture, natural disasters and climate monitoring.

Singh lauded the ISRO's strides in fostering innovation and advancing India’s position as a space-faring nation.

He emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration in fuelling the country's space ambitions.