Starlink competitor AST SpaceMobile needs to push back the launch of its first commercial satellites again. The company originally wanted to launch the first batch of “BlueBird” satellites in Q1, before rescheduling it to Q2. But in an earnings report on Monday, AST SpaceMobile said the 700-square-foot satellites won’t arrive at the launch site until July or August. As a result, the company probably won’t launch the satellites until Q3 or even Q4. In the same earnings report, AST SpaceMobile mentions suffering a supply chain issue, which seems to have contributed to the delay. “Production of five 700 sq. ft. Block 1 BlueBird satellites was impacted by two suppliers, leading to delays in integration and testing,” the company wrote. In response, AST SpaceMobile has effectively phased out the suppliers to handle the production itself.
(Credit: AST SpaceMobile)
“In order to accelerate production of our next satellites and reduce dependency on outside suppliers, we acquired a license to manufacture one of the components and replace the other supplier with our own IP and design,” CEO Abel Avellan said in an earnings call. Despite the delay, AST Space Mobile is moving ahead with plans to launch a second batch of BlueBird satellites between December 2023 and March 2025. These second-generation satellites will be significantly larger at 2,400 square feet. Hence, the more powerful “Block 2” BlueBird satellites promise to “enable up to 120 megabits per second data rates per bin on 40-megahertz channels and 10,000 megahertz of processing bandwidth,” Avellan said.
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AST SpaceMobile is poised to compete against SpaceX’s upcoming cellular Starlink system, which is aiming to launch commercial service later this year. Both technologies can beam satellite connectivity to unmodified phones on the ground, making it possible for consumers to receive internet access in cellular dead zones. But it looks like AST SpaceMobile may need to play catchup if SpaceX can launch the cellular Starlink system on time, pending FCC approval. Still, AST SpaceMobile says it’s building up the capacity to launch 72 BlueBird satellites per year by 2025. For US users, the company plans on offering the satellite connectivity in partnership with AT&T. It’s unclear when this will happen, but the company needs to launch 45 to 60 BlueBird satellites before it can offer continuous coverage in the US.
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