ISRO plans to launch an American satellite in February or March this year. This satellite will allow people to make voice calls using their regular mobile phones directly through a connection from space.

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Dr. Jitendra Singh, India’s Minister of Science and Technology, shared details, saying, “In February or March, we will be launching a US satellite for mobile communication. This satellite will enable voice communication on mobile phones. It will be an interesting mission.”

AST SpaceMobile is likely partnering with ISRO

This launch will also be the first time an American company’s large-scale communications satellite is sent into orbit using an Indian rocket. Although ISRO has not confirmed the satellite operator, reports suggest it might be Texas-based AST SpaceMobile.

The CEO of AST SpaceMobile, Abel Avellan, previously stated that they had “invented a technology that connects satellites directly to ordinary cell phones and provides broadband internet through the largest-ever commercial phased array in low Earth orbit.”

AST plans to launch the satellite using India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), also known as the "Bahubali rocket." The satellite, named Bluebird, will weigh about 6,000 kilograms and have a massive 64-square-meter antenna.

This mission is purely commercial and managed by New Space India Limited (NSIL). Its goal is to offer "affordable 5G broadband service from space to billions of people worldwide, direct to everyday smartphones."

ISRO's work on this project shows India's important place in global space technology. With this launch, ISRO and AST SpaceMobile want to change how people stay connected by offering modern communication services directly to mobile phones.