AST SpaceMobile Unveils New AST5000 ASIC Chip for Next-Gen BlueBird Satellites
AST’s new chip board boosts satellite data capacity for global space-based mobile coverage.
(Midland, Texas) AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) announced today (June 12) on its social media accounts that it has completed the development of an electronic board with its new AST5000 ASIC chip, which will serve as the cornerstone of the company’s next-generation BlueBird satellites.
Image courtesy of a post by AST SpaceMobile on X, @AST_SpaceMobile.
The new technology, which took more than five years to develop, offers a 10x boost in data capacity compared to AST’s earlier Block 1 satellites. With 10,000 MHz of processing bandwidth and peak speeds of 120 Mbps, the chip can support millions of daily connections, including voice, video, texting, and streaming, according to a post from the company’s X account, @AST_SpaceMobile.
With the announcement, AST SpaceMobile says it is now ready to launch the new Bluebird satellites and begin delivering global, space-based cellular broadband coverage, aiming to bring reliable connectivity to people everywhere.
According to the company’s website, AST SpaceMobile’s first five commercial satellites, part of the BlueBird 1–5 mission, build on the success of the BlueWalker 3 test satellite. These satellites will deliver nationwide, non-continuous mobile coverage across the U.S. using over 5,600 cells in premium low-band spectrum. Each satellite features a 693-square-foot communications array and supports direct connectivity to standard mobile phones using 3GPP frequencies. The system also brings a 10x boost in processing bandwidth and will operate in collaboration with global telecom partners.
