In November 2022, AST SpaceMobile reported that it had successfully managed to unfold the ‘origami-like’ giant 64 square metre space antenna. Called BlueWalker-3, the antenna is the largest-ever placed into space and in low Earth orbit. The antenna, and its important sister craft, are vital to AST’s plans to girdle the planet with ordinary – […]
AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has provided an operational update on the BlueWalker 3 (BW3), Block 1 BlueBird and next-generation BlueBird programmes. “The achievements to date for BlueWalker 3 validate the design roadmap for our BlueBirds, including deploying and flying the […]
AST SpaceMobile, the company building what it claims is the first space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has confirmed the closing of its offering of 13,636,364 shares of Class A Common Stock raising gross proceeds of $75 million (€71.1m). Riley Securities (B. Riley) was the sole book-running manager of the offering. […]
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is to build “the largest deployable antenna array” designed by SpaceX to date. SpaceX is advertising for mechanical engineers to help achieve the concept. A LinkedIn comment from Sara Spangelo, SpaceX’s co-lead on the sat-phone scheme, read: “SpaceX is developing a breakthrough new direct to cell satellite network to bring ubiquitous cellular […]
Cellular telco Rakuten Mobile has obtained preliminary experimental test station licences to conduct mobile communication tests and preliminary verification in Japan using AST SpaceMobile’s low earth orbit satellite, BlueWalker 3. AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard unmodified mobile phones. In the future, Rakuten Mobile aims […]
AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has confirmed it plans to launch its BlueWalker 3 test satellite from Cape Canaveral, FL during the week of August 15th. The actual launch date remains subject to change and is contingent on a number of […]
US tech business AST SpaceMobile, helped by having raised $462 million in April, is opening a new facility at Space Park, Leicester, UK. AST is owned by entrepreneur Abel Avellan who is best known as the founder and CEO of Emerging Markets Communications (EMC) which he sold in 2016 for around $550 million. AST wants […]