BlueWalker 3 is deployed, the largest commercial communications satellite in history
It has an area of 64 m² and a field of view of 777,000 km²
BlueWalker 3 (BW3) developer, Texas-based AST SpaceMobile continues to test its space-based broadband cellular network. Back in September, the satellite was successfully launched into orbit, and this week the team successfully deployed the communications array.
BlueWalker 3 is the largest commercial communications array deployed in low Earth orbit, according to AST SpaceMobile. When fully deployed, it has an area of approximately 64 m² and is expected to have a field of view of over 776,996 km² of the Earth’s surface. The satellite orbits our planet approximately every 90 minutes.
History is unfolding! We've deployed #BlueWalker3's 693-square-foot array, which is now the largest-ever commercial communications array in low Earth orbit.
Read more about this important milestone here: https://t.co/4kupfxn3vO pic.twitter.com/KnE9CeWOCT
— AST SpaceMobile (@AST_SpaceMobile) November 14, 2022
Solar cells on the back of the panel will collect energy, while small antennas on the opposite side form a phased array to create dense communication beams. The company said these beams are an efficient way to transmit a strong signal, for example, from space to Earth. It is also reported that he is able to ‘hear’ weak cell phone signals at a distance of hundreds of kilometers.
AST SpaceMobile was founded in 2017 and went public in the summer of 2021. The company has amassed a portfolio of more than 2,400 patents and patent applications to support its space-based cellular network. BlueWalker 3 is designed to communicate directly with conventional mobile phones via standard 3GPP frequencies at 5G speeds.
The startup is set to test direct telephony on all six continents and claims to have agreements and arrangements with more than 25 mobile network operators, including Vodafone and Orange.
The US regulator has given permission for AST SpaceMobile to test communication between a conventional mobile phone and a satellite
‘The successful deployment of BlueWalker 3 is a major step forward for our proprietary space-based broadband cellular technology and paves the way for ongoing production of our BlueBird satellites,’ said Abel Avellan, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile.
BlueBirds are even larger versions of the BW3 currently in development. It is planned that 168 such satellites will eventually form a constellation that will cover the planet with communication.
AST SpaceMobile is just one of several companies competing to create space-based communications systems for everyday consumers. On paper, the proposals are attractive, but not everyone is excited about the prospect of further increases in space debris in orbit. Last year, Steve Wozniak and Alex Fielding launched Privateer Space, which plans to help solve this problem.
