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Published by Venkatachari Jagannathan\u00a0<\/p>\nThe 15th December launch of AST\u00a0SpaceMobile\u00a0Inc\u2019s 6.5-ton\u00a0BlueBird\u00a06 satellite aboard India\u2019s LVM3 rocket has been postponed, it is reliably learnt.\u00a0While neither AST\u00a0SpaceMobile\u00a0nor senior officials of\u00a0ISRO\u00a0responded to queries, it is understood that the scheduled launch has been deferred.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is not known whether the launch postponement is connected to issues relating to the\u00a0satellite or the rocket\u00a0or the weather or something\u00a0else.\u00a0A revised launch date has not yet been announced, though the mission is now expected to take place\u00a0on or\u00a0after 20th December.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Weighing 6.5 tons,\u00a0BlueBird\u00a06 will be the heaviest satellite ever placed into LEO by the LVM3 launch vehicle, which currently\u00a0maintains\u00a0a 100% mission success record.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gen 2 for AST SpaceMobile<\/p>\n
BlueBird\u00a06 marks the debut of AST\u00a0SpaceMobile\u2019s\u00a0next-generation satellite fleet.\u00a0These advanced satellites\u00a0feature\u00a0nearly 2,400\u00a0square\u00a0feet\u00a0arrays, which will make them the largest commercial phased arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit,\u00a0claims AST\u00a0SpaceMobile.\u00a0The company said\u00a0BlueBird\u00a06 is expected to deliver ten times more data capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AST\u00a0SpaceMobile\u00a0is developing what it describes as the world\u2019s first and only space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect directly to standard smartphones, serving both commercial and government users.\u00a0\u201cOur next-generation satellites will soon enable ubiquitous cellular broadband coverage direct to everyday smartphones from space,\u201d Abel Avellan, Founder,\u00a0Chairman\u00a0and CEO of AST\u00a0SpaceMobile, had said earlier.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an American company, we are proud to demonstrate U.S. leadership in space innovation while pioneering the next era of global connectivity.\u201d\u00a0The company is ramping up production, with hardware equivalent to 40 satellites expected to be completed by early 2026.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
AST\u00a0SpaceMobile\u00a0plans five orbital launches by the end of the first quarter of 2026, spaced one to two months apart, and is targeting 45\u201360 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026 to enable continuous coverage across the United States and select international markets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AST\u00a0SpaceMobile\u2019s\u00a0expansion is supported by\u00a0nearly\u00a0500,000\u00a0square feet\u00a0of manufacturing and operations facilities worldwide, including about 400,000 square feet in the U.S., and a global workforce of\u00a0nearly 1,800\u00a0employees, most of whom are based in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0BlueBird\u00a06 launch contract was arranged through\u00a0NewSpace\u00a0India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of India\u2019s Department of Space.\u00a0AST\u00a0SpaceMobile\u00a0will be the second satellite broadband customer to fly on the LVM3, following Eutelsat OneWeb, which launched 72 satellites across two LVM3 missions in 2022 and 2023.\u00a0It should be noted that after the two launches nothing has been heard about OneWeb contracting\u00a0Indian rockets for its satellites.\u00a0<\/p>\n
India\u2019s LVM3 is a three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle weighing approximately 642 tons and standing 43.5 meters tall. It can carry around 10 tons to LEO and about 4 tons to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), with ISRO currently working to increase its GTO capacity to 5 tons.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though\u00a0AST\u00a0SpaceMobile\u00a0plans 45-60 satellites by the end of 2026, it is not known how much of that will be by Indian rockets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Published by Venkatachari Jagannathan\u00a0<\/p>\n
V.Jagannathan (Byline Venkatachari Jagannathan), is a freelance journalist based in Chennai, India covering the country\u2019s space, nuclear, insurance, automobile and several other industries. Jagannathan was with IANS newswire, one of India\u2019s premier news agencies and his articles \u2013 news, news analysis, interviews, profiles and others- on various sectors were published in several leading print, online publications within and outside India. He was also with India\u2019s first online business magazine www.domain-b.com. A school and college chess player Jagannathan also writes about Indian chess and has covered World Chess Championships, Chess Olympiads and others.<\/p>\n