BlueWalker 3
Launched September 10, 2022
Cape Canaveral, Florida
BlueWalker 3
Launched September 10, 2022
Cape Canaveral, Florida
LAUNCHED TO ORBIT
9:20pm ET
Sep 10, 2022
BlueWalker 3 is AST SpaceMobile’s prototype satellite, designed to test broadband capabilities with everyday, unmodified smartphones via 3GPP standard frequencies. The satellite features a 693 sq ft phased array and serves as the model for our first commercial satellites, known as BlueBird.
693 sq ft designed to deliver cellular broadband connectivity directly to your phone
The Road to
BlueWalker 3
In 2019, we launched BlueWalker 1, a small satellite that worked like a “4G phone in space.” This early mission proved that even weak cellular signals could travel hundreds of miles from orbit and still connect to antennas on the ground, validating our vision for direct-to-device broadband.
Building on that success, we designed BlueWalker 3 — the first true “cell tower in the sky.” Its 148-micron panels form the large array, generating solar energy on one side and sending signals through antennas to phones on the other.
Unfolding such a vast, yet ultra-thin structure in orbit required creative problem-solving and innovations in thermal control, synchronization, and precision attitude management. This drove us to push the boundaries of satellite design and develop one of the most advanced communications satellites ever launched.
BlueWalker 3: World-Firsts for
Space-to-Phone Broadband
Apr 2023
First voice call
Jun 2023
First video call
Sept 2023
First 5G call
Jan 2024
First public safety tests on FirstNet®