AST SpaceMobile (AST), a would-be supplier of direct-to-consumer cellular telephony from space, has told the FCC that it will have 243 of its BlueBird satellites in orbit by the end of 2028. The schedule will see 100 working in orbit by the end of next year, then 72 additional craft each year until 2028.

AST has five preliminary satellites already in orbit and will launch the first of its larger BlueBirds in June on an Indian rocket.

The first pair of craft are each to weigh 5.8 tonnes (5850 kgs), but subsequent satellites will weigh some 1.67 tonnes lighter. The first pair are reported to be carrying extra payloads for the US Department of Defense and rumoured to be part of the DoD’s ‘Golden Dome’ project.

AST says that its satellites will have a design life of up to seven years.

The FCC filing indicates that FM2 could be launched shortly after FM1. Perhaps on Blue Origin New Glenn’s second test launch?

AST needs 90 satellite in orbit for a true global service. It has some heavyweight telco partners waiting for services to start including AT&T, Verizon, Rakuten and Vodafone.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite

Tags: AST SpaceMobile, AT&T, rakuten, Verizon