BlueWalker 3 will undergo final environmental testing at an off-site facility in California over the next few weeks to provide flight data for the launch at Cape Canaveral.
AST SpaceMobile expects SpaceX to launch the BlueWalker 3 test satellite for its cellphone-compatible constellation in the week of 2022-08-15.
The Federal Communications Commission granted AST SpaceMobile an experimental license to test BlueWalker 3 satellite-to-phone connectivity in the United States at sites in Texas and Hawaii.
AST SpaceMobile invested approximately $85,000,000 in the development of BlueWalker 3.
BlueWalker 3 carries a 693-square-foot phased array designed to test cellular broadband communications directly with standard mobile phones from space.
AST SpaceMobile plans to launch the BlueWalker 3 test satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida during the week of 2022-08-15.
BlueWalker 3 is slated to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with other passengers from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
AST SpaceMobile planned to begin deploying BlueBird operational satellites in 2023 even if BlueWalker 3 encountered issues.
BlueWalker 3 was developed at AST SpaceMobile’s facilities in Texas.
AST SpaceMobile will start deploying operational BlueBird satellites in 2023 even if there is any complication with the BlueWalker 3 prototype.
BlueWalker 3 is slated to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with other passengers.
AST SpaceMobile will use BlueWalker 3 to configure ground equipment and software at the gateway level to optimize its planned services.
AST SpaceMobile expects to test BlueWalker 3 with cellular partners in Japan, Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia.
AST SpaceMobile spent more than $80,000,000 on the BlueWalker 3 program over several years.
The BlueWalker 3 prototype has a mass of 1,500 kg and a 64-square-meter phased array antenna designed to unfold in space to communicate with smartphones and other devices at broadband speeds.
AST SpaceMobile secured an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission on 2022-05-02 to test BlueWalker 3 services in Hawaii and Texas.
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS) received an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission to support U.S.-based testing of the BlueWalker 3 satellite.
BlueWalker 3 is planned to launch in summer 2022.
AST SpaceMobile had previously planned to launch BlueWalker 3 in 2021 and 20 BlueBird satellites by the end of 2022 to begin commercial services in 2023.
AST SpaceMobile plans to use about five minutes of daily coverage from BlueWalker 3 in most areas to configure its software and other systems related to the network core.