Communications

SPACEMOBILE-002

Direct-to-cell communications · AST SpaceMobile

SpaceMobile-002 is one of the five first-generation BlueBird satellites AST SpaceMobile deployed together on September 12, 2024 from Cape Canaveral, each carrying a phased-array antenna of roughly 700 square feet that was, at launch, the largest commercial communications array ever flown in low Earth orbit. The satellites are designed to let unmodified, everyday smartphones connect directly to a satellite network for cellular service, closing coverage gaps that terrestrial towers can't reach — rural areas, remote highways, disaster zones where ground infrastructure has failed. Each satellite is engineered to support up to 120 megabits per second and is part of a fleet aiming for near-complete U.S. coverage through more than 5,600 coverage cells, working in partnership with major mobile carriers who see satellite connectivity less as a replacement for cell towers and more as an invisible backstop for the moments and places where towers simply aren't there.