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BlueWalker 3

active
CommunicationsLEOCOSPAR 2022-111ALLaunched 9/11/2022
Admin Edit
Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
Starlink-62
Launch Vehicle
Falcon 9 FT5
Launch Date
9/11/2022
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
LEO
Altitude
510 km
Inclination
53.2 deg
Dry Mass
1,500 kg
Total Mass
1,500 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Communications
Payload Category
COM
Payload Class
B
Organizations
Operator
AST SpaceMobile
Manufacturer
AST SpaceMobile
Constellation
Name
AST SpaceMobile BlueBird
Active Satellites
6
Planned Satellites
248
Registry
COSPAR ID
2022-111AL
Track
Mentions
108
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

AST’s BlueWalker 3 prototype, launched on 2022-09-10, carries a 64-square-meter antenna that is the largest commercial antenna ever deployed to low Earth orbit.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Oct 11, 2022Jumping on the direct-to-cell bandwagon
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AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker-3 prototype satellite, which SpaceX launched on 2022-09-10, is slated to unfurl a 64-square-meter antenna in the next couple of weeks to test its ability to bring 0.004 kg and 0.005 kg connectivity to standard mobile phones.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.2Sep 28, 2022Lynk Global to deploy experimental 5G payload in December

SpaceX launched AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 prototype on 2022-09-10.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Sep 19, 2022Lynk Global gets first commercial satellite direct-to-cell operating license

AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 prototype is preparing to unfurl what the company describes as the largest commercial antenna ever deployed in low Earth orbit to test planned services.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.2Sep 19, 2022Lynk Global gets first commercial satellite direct-to-cell operating license

BlueWalker 3 launched on Saturday, 2022-09-10 at 9:20 pm EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

PlanValue 4.0Sep 16, 2022AST SpaceMobile Confirms Successful Placement of BlueWalker 3 Satellite Into Orbit

AST SpaceMobile is operating from three global mission control centers in Maryland, Colorado, and Australia that are directly receiving data from BlueWalker 3.

CapabilityValue 4.0Sep 16, 2022AST SpaceMobile Confirms Successful Placement of BlueWalker 3 Satellite Into Orbit

AST SpaceMobile plans to test voice and video applications with the BlueWalker 3 prototype under an experimental license from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

LegalPlanCapabilityValue 4.0Sep 14, 2022AST SpaceMobile secures communications with prototype

AST SpaceMobile is setting up sites to test BlueWalker 3 with more than 10 mobile operators globally on all six inhabited continents.

PlanGrowthCapabilityValue 4.0Sep 14, 2022AST SpaceMobile secures communications with prototype

AST SpaceMobile is authorized to use three different frequencies with AT&T in the United States for BlueWalker 3 testing.

LegalCapabilityValue 4.0Sep 14, 2022AST SpaceMobile secures communications with prototype

AST SpaceMobile aims to begin testing BlueWalker 3’s ability to provide 0.004 kg and 0.005 kg connectivity to standard mobile phones a couple of weeks after antenna deployment.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Sep 14, 2022AST SpaceMobile secures communications with prototype

SpaceX launched AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 satellite on 2022-09-10 at 9:20 p.m. ET.

PlanValue 4.0Sep 10, 2022SpaceX lifts 34 Starlinks + AST Space Mobile’s BlueWalker 3 to orbit via their Falcon 9

BlueWalker 3 is slated to launch next month and has a 64-square-meter phased array antenna for testing communications with smartphones and other devices at broadband speeds.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.6Aug 16, 2022AST SpaceMobile delays commercial satellite debut by six months

AST SpaceMobile completed assembly and stowing of BlueWalker 3 over the summer at its Midland, Texas headquarters and manufacturing facility.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.0Aug 10, 2022AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 test satellite arrives @ Cape Canaveral for upcoming launch

Mobile network operators in BlueWalker 3’s mission test plans include Vodafone, Rakuten Mobile, and Orange using cell phone handsets from major global manufacturers.

PlanValue 4.0Aug 10, 2022AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 test satellite arrives @ Cape Canaveral for upcoming launch

BlueWalker 3 is a low Earth orbit satellite with an aperture of approximately 64 square meters (693 square feet) designed to communicate directly with cellular devices via 3GPP standard frequencies.

CapabilityValue 4.6Aug 1, 2022Technology to enable AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-cell phone connectivity from space

AST SpaceMobile plans to launch its BlueWalker 3 satellite for testing in early to mid-September from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

PlanGeneralValue 4.5Aug 1, 2022Technology to enable AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-cell phone connectivity from space

AST SpaceMobile plans to launch the BlueWalker 3 satellite for testing in early to mid-September from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

PlanValue 4.0Jul 29, 2022Nokia Collaborates with AST to Provide First Space-based Cellular Broadband Network

BlueWalker 3 is a low Earth orbit satellite with an aperture of approximately 64 square meters (693 square feet) designed to communicate directly with cellular devices using 3GPP standard frequencies.

CapabilityValue 4.3Jul 29, 2022Nokia Collaborates with AST to Provide First Space-based Cellular Broadband Network

AST SpaceMobile will launch its BlueWalker 3 test satellite later 2022 to begin global testing with mobile network operators on six continents.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Jul 29, 2022Nokia Collaborates with AST to Provide First Space-based Cellular Broadband Network

AST SpaceMobile will conduct testing worldwide with leading mobile network operators using BlueWalker 3 while leveraging Nokia's ground-based technology solutions.

PlanRelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Jul 29, 2022Nokia Collaborates with AST to Provide First Space-based Cellular Broadband Network