AST SpaceMobile Kicks Off Launch Campaign for Upgraded BlueBird Sats
ISRO launches the BlueBird 6 satellite for AST SpaceMobile on a LVM3 rocket. Photo: AST SpaceMobile
AST SpaceMobile has kicked off the launch campaign for its upgraded BlueBird satellites. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched BlueBird 6 satellite on December 23 and the next satellite, BlueBird 7, has arrived in Florida ahead of integration with the launch vehicle.
The BlueBird 6 mission launched on a LVM3 launch vehicle at 10:25 p.m. EST on December 23, with the launch taking place the morning of December 24 local time in India.
AST SpaceMobile says that BlueBird 6 is the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). At nearly 2,400 square feet, it is three times larger than BlueBirds 1 through 5, the company’s prior satellites currently in orbit.
The company’s stated plan is to launch between 45 and 60 satellites by the end of 2026, “with launches planned every one or two months on average.” These satellites are designed to provide 4G and 5G broadband directly to standard phones for commercial and government applications.
“BlueBird 6 is a breakthrough moment for AST SpaceMobile,” said Abel Avellan, CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “This launch validates years of U.S. innovation and American manufacturing, executed by our team and marks the transition to scaled deployment. With BlueBird 6 now in orbit, we are firmly on the path to delivering true space-based cellular broadband directly to everyday smartphones, at a global scale.”
ISRO said the satellite was the heaviest payload launched from an LVM3 vehicle from India.
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