"The mission will carry AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite to low Earth orbit. Instead of blanketing the region with thousands of small satellites like Amazon and SpaceX, AST's plan is to deploy fewer satellites that are much more powerful."
"Bluebird 7 features a massive 2,400-square-foot phased-array antenna, making it the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit. It's essentially a cell tower in space."
"AST plans to have 45 to 60 satellites launched by the end of 2026. When AST lights up its direct-to-device service sometime this year, it will be in direct competition with Starlink's direct-to-cell service."
The upcoming Blue Origin New Glenn rocket launch is significant as it could end SpaceX's monopoly on reusable orbital launch vehicles. Jeff Bezos' rocket will test a first-stage booster that previously launched and landed successfully. Amazon needs a reusable rocket to accelerate its Leo satellite launches, having deployed only 241 satellites compared to SpaceX's 1,500. The mission will carry AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite, designed to provide high-speed broadband directly to mobile devices, competing with existing services from Starlink and Globalstar.
Read at The Verge
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