AST SpaceMobile Announced Today (Feb. 19) that its BlueBird 7 Satellite has been Encapsulated within Blue Origin’s New Glenn Launch Vehicle
AST SpaceMobile announced on social media that is BlueBird 7 satellite’s next stop is Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
(Midland, Texas) AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) announced today (Feb. 19) on its social media accounts that its BlueBird 7 satellite – which will launch on Blue Origin’s upcoming New Glenn-3 (NG-3) mission – has been encapsulated within the New Glenn launch vehicle, and is preparing for its journey to low Earth orbit (LEO).
Photo of AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite courtesy of AST SpaceMobile’s Instagram account, @astspacemobile.
The post explains that BlueBird 7’s next stop is its launch pad – specifically, LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
@astspacemobile’s post reads: “Yet another step in scaling the first space-based cellular broadband network built to connect directly with standard smartphones.
Now we are deploying the constellation designed to connect nearly 6 billion mobile users worldwide.”
New Glenn is scheduled to launch NG-3 no earlier than later this month. The mission follows Blue Origin’s successful NG-2 mission, which included the landing of the “Never Tell Me The Odds” booster; the same booster is being refurbished to power NG-3.
“We’re proud to have AST SpaceMobile as our customer on NG-3,” said Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp in a January 22 press release. “Our customers need a reliable, cost-effective launch vehicle, and New Glenn is purpose-built to serve their needs.”
BlueBird 7 specs mentioned in the post include:
“2,400 square feet phased- array.
3,800 patent and patent pending claims.
50+ partners.
Enabling 120 Mbps. peak data rates.”
