ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan recently flagged off the Core Liquid Stage (L110) for the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3), also known as the "Bahubali" rocket, to the launch complex at Sriharikota.

This event took place on January 17, 2025, and was attended by directors from various ISRO centres, including the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR).

The L110 stage is significant as it is the 10th liquid stage integrated at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. It is designated for a mission under a commercial agreement between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and AST & Science, LLC to launch their BlueBird Block-2 satellite.

The L110 stage was designed and developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and is powered by twin Vikas engines with a propellant capacity of 110 tons.

About AST SpaceMobile

AST SpaceMobile, LLC is preparing to launch its next-generation BlueBird Block-2 satellites as part of its ambitious plan to establish a global space-based cellular broadband network. The company has secured multiple launch agreements, primarily utilizing Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, which is capable of deploying up to eight Block-2 satellites at once. This approach will significantly enhance the coverage and capacity of their services.

The first launches are anticipated in March 2025, with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scheduled to use its LVM3 rocket for this mission. This launch will deploy two of the Block-2 satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) under a commercial agreement with AST SpaceMobile.

Each Block-2 BlueBird satellite features expansive communications arrays measuring up to 2,400 square feet, making them the largest commercial communications arrays ever deployed in orbit. They are designed to provide up to ten times the bandwidth capacity of previous models, supporting various applications including voice, data, and video.

In conjunction with this event, ISRO successfully demonstrated the restart capability of its Vikas liquid engine, a key technology for future reusability of rocket stages. The test involved firing the engine for 60 seconds, shutting it off for 120 seconds, and then restarting it for an additional 7 seconds. This capability is crucial for reducing costs in future space missions.

UNI