Starlink Rival AST SpaceMobile Wants to Launch 243 Giant Satellites by 2028
As it seeks to compete with SpaceX's cellular Starlink service, AST SpaceMobile has an ambitious goal—launch 243 more satellites by 2028.
AST mentioned the goal in an FCC filing as it tries to secure regulatory clearance to operate the FM1, a prototype satellite slated to launch from India in July.
The FM1 is the company's first stab at a second-generation BlueBird satellite, which is designed to beam cellular connectivity to phones on the ground. In March, AST filed for experimental authority with the FCC to start tests with the prototype satellite. On Monday, it provided more details after the FCC told AST its original application was 'incomplete.'
One of the new documents shows that AST envisions launching 243 second-generation BlueBirds from now until 2028. Each satellite is designed to operate for up to seven years before it's de-orbited and set on a path to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.
The satellites are huge, with a communication antenna spanning 223 square meters. That's about three times larger than AST's first-gen BlueBird satellites, five of which are currently in orbit.
The document adds that FM1 has a mass of 5,830 kilograms (nearly 13,000 pounds) — or about 10 times the mass of a V2 Mini Optimized satellite for Starlink.
However, future iterations of the second-generation BlueBird satellites will be smaller at 4,210 kilograms, thanks to the 'use of composite material,' the document says. The second-generation BlueBirds have been designed to deploy at about 520 kilometers (323 miles) in altitude before elevating themselves to 700km.
The goal of launching 243 more satellites by 2028 is certainly ambitious, but it will be easier said than done. AST plans to use SpaceX's Falcon 9 to launch next-generation BlueBirds and Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. The latter only just conducted its maiden flight in January; the rocket successfully reached orbit, but the first-stage booster botched its landing.
The new FCC filing also mentions an FM2 satellite, suggesting the company is preparing another prototype BlueBird. As a result, satellite industry analyst Tim Farrar said: "Looks like the start of a satellite redesign and extended delay."
The other issue is that AST still needs FCC clearance to launch and commercially operate its satellite constellation for use in the US. So far, the FCC has deferred on the company's original request to operate an additional 243 satellites. AST has yet to file a follow-up application.
AST submitted the documents to the FCC after SpaceX criticized the company's initial proposal for the FM1 satellite, including its plans to prevent the craft from posing a hazard in Earth's orbit. In response, AST submitted a new 'orbit debris assessment report,' which maintains that the company's FM1 and future satellites comply with orbital safety regulations.
Despite the new filing, the FCC sent an email to AST on Tuesday, demanding that it resolve several lingering questions and possible inaccuracies and errors in the documentation.
Although AST wants to launch 248 satellites, the company has said it only needs 45 to 60 BlueBirds in orbit to start offering continuous satellite connectivity to partners, including AT&T and Verizon.
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