India’s space agency launched its heaviest payload ever on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the deployment a “major advancement” in the space sector.
The LVM3-M6 rocket launched the U.S.-made AST SpaceMobile communications satellite into low-Earth orbit.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said it was “the heaviest payload ever launched from Indian soil”.
The launch is a boost for India’s ambitious low-cost space program, which plans to conduct unmanned orbital missions and manned spaceflights in the coming years.
The satellite, which weighs 6,100 kilograms (13,448 pounds), was launched on a modified version of the rocket India plans to use for its future space missions.
India is vying for a bigger share of the booming commercial satellite business as phone, internet and other companies seek expanded and higher-end communications.
Modi said the launch marked “a proud milestone in India’s space journey.”
“It enhances India’s heavy-lift launch capabilities and strengthens our growing role in the global commercial launch market,” he said in a statement.
Earlier this year, ISRO launched the CMS-03 communications satellite, which weighed approximately 4,410 kg.
For these heavy-lift launches, India deployed an upgraded version of the rocket used to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in August 2023.
The world’s most populous country has demonstrated its space ambitions over the past decade, with its space program growing significantly and rivaling the achievements of established powers at a much cheaper price.
The company said it plans to launch an unmanned orbital mission before the first manned spaceflight in 2027.
Modi also announced plans to send astronauts to the moon by 2040.
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