AST SpaceMobile Confirms Successful Placement of BlueWalker 3 Satellite Into Orbit

AST SpaceMobile Confirms Successful Placement of BlueWalker 3 Satellite Into Orbit

AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has confirmed the successful placement of BlueWalker 3 into space.

The BlueWalker 3 test satellite successfully launched on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at 9:20 pm EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Engineers made contact with BlueWalker 3 less than an hour after take-off, confirming its trajectory.

"BlueWalker 3 is on course and securely circling the earth," said Scott Wisniewski, Chief Strategy Officer of AST SpaceMobile. "The satellite is thermally stable and is communicating directly with ground stations. Our team is now operating from three global mission control centers, including Maryland, Colorado, and Australia, where we are directly receiving data from BlueWalker 3."

AST SpaceMobile broadcasted live from launch pad 39A before lifting off, interviewing key partners from American Tower, Vodafone Group, and Nokia. Replays of the show’s executive interviews, including Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile Abel Avellan, can be found on the company’s YouTube page.

“A major achievement in our mission to connect the unconnected has been accomplished," said Abel Avellan, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “We are working hard to ensure that no one becomes a second-class citizen, regardless of where they live or work, because of their lack of access to cellular broadband.”

AST SpaceMobile has a portfolio of more than 2,400 patent- and patent-pending claims supporting its space-based cellular broadband technology, with agreements and understandings with over 25 Mobile Network Operators ("MNOs") globally, who collectively provide service to over 1.8 billion subscribers. MNOs in the mission's test plans include Vodafone Group, Rakuten Mobile, AT&T, Orange, and others.

AST SpaceMobile continues preparations for the assembly and production of the next phase of satellites called BlueBirds in Texas. Once BlueWalker 3 is operational following in-orbit testing and configuration, testing is planned with MNOs and equipment providers on all 6 inhabited continents.

In-orbit operations and deployment of the BlueWalker 3 satellite are subject to numerous contingencies and technical factors, which must occur successfully to enable the mission's goal of testing direct-to-cell phone broadband connectivity. These factors include but are not limited to, the opening of the satellite's phased array and in-orbit operation of the satellite's hardware and software systems.

Click here to learn about the SpaceMobile Network from AST SpaceMobile.


Publisher: SatNow
Tags:-  Satellite

GNSS Constellations - A list of all GNSS satellites by constellations

beidou

Satellite NameOrbit Date
BeiDou-3 G4Geostationary Orbit (GEO)17 May, 2023
BeiDou-3 G2Geostationary Orbit (GEO)09 Mar, 2020
Compass-IGSO7Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)09 Feb, 2020
BeiDou-3 M19Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M20Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)16 Dec, 2019
BeiDou-3 M21Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M22Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)23 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 I3Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Nov, 2019
BeiDou-3 M23Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019
BeiDou-3 M24Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)22 Sep, 2019

galileo

Satellite NameOrbit Date
GSAT0223MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0224MEO - Near-Circular05 Dec, 2021
GSAT0219MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0220MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0221MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0222MEO - Near-Circular25 Jul, 2018
GSAT0215MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0216MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0217MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017
GSAT0218MEO - Near-Circular12 Dec, 2017

glonass

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Kosmos 2569--07 Aug, 2023
Kosmos 2564--28 Nov, 2022
Kosmos 2559--10 Oct, 2022
Kosmos 2557--07 Jul, 2022
Kosmos 2547--25 Oct, 2020
Kosmos 2545--16 Mar, 2020
Kosmos 2544--11 Dec, 2019
Kosmos 2534--27 May, 2019
Kosmos 2529--03 Nov, 2018
Kosmos 2527--16 Jun, 2018

gps

Satellite NameOrbit Date
Navstar 82Medium Earth Orbit19 Jan, 2023
Navstar 81Medium Earth Orbit17 Jun, 2021
Navstar 78Medium Earth Orbit22 Aug, 2019
Navstar 77Medium Earth Orbit23 Dec, 2018
Navstar 76Medium Earth Orbit05 Feb, 2016
Navstar 75Medium Earth Orbit31 Oct, 2015
Navstar 74Medium Earth Orbit15 Jul, 2015
Navstar 73Medium Earth Orbit25 Mar, 2015
Navstar 72Medium Earth Orbit29 Oct, 2014
Navstar 71Medium Earth Orbit02 Aug, 2014

irnss

Satellite NameOrbit Date
NVS-01Geostationary Orbit (GEO)29 May, 2023
IRNSS-1IInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)12 Apr, 2018
IRNSS-1HSub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO)31 Aug, 2017
IRNSS-1GGeostationary Orbit (GEO)28 Apr, 2016
IRNSS-1FGeostationary Orbit (GEO)10 Mar, 2016
IRNSS-1EGeosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)20 Jan, 2016
IRNSS-1DInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)28 Mar, 2015
IRNSS-1CGeostationary Orbit (GEO)16 Oct, 2014
IRNSS-1BInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)04 Apr, 2014
IRNSS-1AInclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO)01 Jul, 2013