AST SpaceMobile, Inc., the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones designed for both commercial and government use, announced the successful launch of its first five commercial satellites, called BlueBirds. On September 12th at 4:52 am EDT, the BlueBird 1-5 mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and delivered the five largest-ever commercial communications arrays into low Earth orbit.
The groundbreaking launch started at 4:52 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The event was witnessed by partners and retail shareholders from around the globe who had gathered to be a part of this historic milestone. These large arrays of antennas are designed to reach standard smartphones directly at cellular broadband speeds for voice, data and video and other non-communications government applications. After launch, the BlueBird satellites are planned to offer non-continuous cellular broadband service across the United States and in select markets globally.
The BlueBird satellites’ beams are designed to support a capacity of up to 40 MHz, enabling peak data transmission speeds of up to 120 Mbps. and will target approximately 100% nationwide coverage from space with over 5,600 coverage cells in the United States.
“This is an exciting next step to a future where our customers will only be hard to reach if they choose to be – giving them the power to go anywhere and the possibility to do anything while staying connected with just an everyday cell phone,” said Jeff McElfresh, Chief Operating Officer, AT&T. “This moment has been several years in the making, and I am proud of our teams’ work, in collaboration with AST SpaceMobile, to help make space-based connectivity a reality.”
“Today’s historic launch from Kennedy Space Center marks the next step in our shared mission of democratizing telecommunications,” said Mickey Mikitani, Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO. “Mobile connectivity is a necessity no matter where you are. We are proud to be working with a trailblazer like AST SpaceMobile to create a more connected world.”
AST SpaceMobile has more than 3,400 patents and patent-pending claims for its technology and operates state-of-the-art, vertically integrated manufacturing and testing facilities in Midland, Texas, which collectively span 185,000 square feet.
During 2024, AST SpaceMobile has secured additional strategic investments from AT&T, Verizon, Google and Vodafone, as well as new contract awards with the United States Government through prime contractors. The company has agreements with more than 45 mobile network operators globally, which have over 2.8 billion existing subscribers in total, including Vodafone Group, Rakuten Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Bell Canada, Orange, Telefonica, TIM, Saudi Telecom Company, MTN, Zain KSA, Etisalat, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Telkomsel, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, Millicom, Smartfren, Telecom Argentina, Telstra, Africell, Liberty Latin America and others. Rakuten, American Tower and Bell Canada are also existing investors in AST SpaceMobile.
Click here to learn more about AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 1-5 Commercial Satellite Mission
