SRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced that India is set to launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the United States within the next two months, marking a significant milestone in India’s space journey. This launch will follow the historic July 30, 2025, deployment of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, which featured an L-Band SAR payload from the US and an S-Band payload by ISRO, and was placed into orbit with high precision by ISRO’s GSLV-F16 launcher. The upcoming mission involves launching the US-built satellite, named Block 2 BlueBird, aboard ISRO’s heaviest rocket, the LVM3-M5, from the Sriharikota spaceport. The Block 2 BlueBird is designed to provide direct-to-smartphone broadband connectivity, eliminating the need for specialized terminals. It features large communication arrays up to 2,400 square feet and can deliver data speeds of up to 120 Mbps, enabling voice, data, and video communications worldwide, especially in underserved areas. This launch signifies India’s extraordinary growth from receiving a tiny rocket from the US in 1963 to now independently launching advanced satellites for global partners. ISRO has launched 433 satellites for 34 countries to date and plans to expand its satellite constellation significantly in the coming years. The Block 2 BlueBird satellite is expected to arrive in India shortly for final preparations before launch.