First batch of AST SpaceMobile ‘Bluebird’ satellites ready to take flight

AST SpaceMobile’s plan to deploy a global constellation of satellites that can connect to cellular phones on the ground is nearing liftoff.

The company announced Thursday that five of its “Bluebird” low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites have reached completion and are ready to be shipped to Cape Canaveral in Florida during the first week of August. That milestone, which means the satellites have completed the manufacturing, assembly and environmental testing phase, sets the stage for a seven-day launch window in September for the company’s first handful of Bluebirds.

The exact launch date will be confirmed closer to the launch window, the company said. That date will hinge on several factors, including regulatory approvals, logistics and weather conditions.

“This is a momentous occasion for AST SpaceMobile. These first five satellites are built on the success of our in-orbit BlueWalker 3 satellite and will provide US nationwide non-continuous service with over 5,600 cells in premium low-band spectrum, with a planned 10-fold increase in processing bandwidth,” AST SpaceMobile Chairman and CEO Abel Avellan said in a statement. “We are eager to see these pioneering satellites take flight and being laying the foundation of our global cellular broadband network.”

Step toward commercial launch

The coming launch of the five Bluebird satellites (to be delivered into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket) is one step in a much longer journey toward the commercial deployment of AST SpaceMobile’s platform.

The five satellites will enable AST SpaceMobile to provide “non-continuous commercial service after several months of testing and configuration,” a company official told Light Reading via email. “We plan to ramp our offering into a continuous services offering of cellular broadband direct to everyday smartphones with 45 to 60 satellites.”

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