AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, announced the completion of pre-launch testing and a launch date for its BlueWalker 3 (BW3) test satellite.
BW3's launch window opens at 7:51 p.m. EDT on September 10 for launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, a mission that plans to kick off testing with mobile network operators on six continents, including North America.
The actual BW3 launch date remains subject to change and is contingent on several factors, including, but not limited to, timely readiness of the launch vehicle, weather conditions, technical problems, and other unknowns.
At 693 square feet, the phased array on BlueWalker 3 will be the largest commercial communications array ever deployed to low Earth orbit. This large array of antennas is designed to connect directly to existing mobile phones from a much longer distance than traditional cell towers. AST SpaceMobile has a portfolio of more than 2,400 patent- and patent-pending claims supporting its cellular broadband technology.
Once BlueWalker 3 is deployed and operational, in-orbit testing and configuration will begin. AST SpaceMobile plans to conduct BW3 direct-to-cell phone testing on six continents, including North America. Mobile network operators (MNOs) in the mission's test plans include Vodafone, Rakuten Mobile, and Orange, among others. AST SpaceMobile has agreements and understandings with more than 25 MNOs, including a mutual exclusivity with Vodafone in 24 countries.
Abel Avellan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AST SpaceMobile
The launch of BlueWalker 3 is a major step forward to provide space-based cellular broadband. With agreements and understandings from mobile network operators who collectively provide service to over 1.8 billion subscribers around the globe, the BW3 mission bolsters our mutual commitment to connect the unconnected.