AST SpaceMobile has filed an FCC application for permission to deploy 243 giant cellular satellites into Earth orbit. Each one will shine in the night sky almost as brightly as the full moon. The convenience of global communication for citizens will be a disaster for observational astronomy. The launches are scheduled to be completed by 2028. Competitor Starlink is determined to achieve this goal at any cost.
Image source: AST SpaceMobile
AST SpaceMobile has already launched four first-generation BlueBird prototype satellites into orbit. Each has an antenna area of 65 m². These devices shine in the sky like first-magnitude stars. The second-generation BlueBird satellites will have antennas of 223 m², and their brightness will approach that of the full Moon. This is not yet an approved project, but it is unlikely to be canceled.
The first application for the placement of giant satellites was, however, returned to the company for revision – this became known yesterday. The application was submitted to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in March of this year, but was rejected with the note “incomplete”. The company has time to update it and re-submit.
The first second-generation BlueBird test satellite, designated FM1, is scheduled to launch from India in July this year. It will be an early prototype weighing nearly 6 tons (5,830 kg) — about 10 times heavier than the Starlink V2 Mini satellites. Production BlueBird V2 satellites will weigh 4,210 kg thanks to the use of composite materials. SpaceX has previously criticized AST SpaceMobile satellites for their large mass and the associated threat of increasing the volume of space debris. AST SpaceMobile responded that each satellite will be deorbited and burned up in the atmosphere after seven years of operation.
The company also claims that 45-60 BlueBird V2 satellites will be enough to deploy a working global cellular network, which will be possible long before the entire constellation is completed. Its customers, AT&T, Verizon, and other operators, agree with this. However, AST SpaceMobile has yet to reach an agreement with launch operators. While SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets are readily available, there is uncertainty with Blue Origin’s alternative New Glenn rocket: it does not fly regularly yet. Only one launch was carried out, which ended with the loss of the return stage.