AST SpaceMobile Aims High: Challenging SpaceX With New Satellite Launches
So, it looks like SpaceX might have some real competition coming its way! AST SpaceMobile, a startup based in Texas, is planning a major expansion of its space-based broadband network. I mean, who wouldn't want faster internet, right?
The company's recent announcement that they've got around $1.5 billion earmarked to launch a bunch of satellites by 2026 is definitely turning heads. After the announcement, their shares jumped by over 10%, which is a solid sign that investors are pretty confident in their plan.
AST SpaceMobile isn't exactly new to this game. They launched their first satellite back in September 2022 to test the idea of connecting regular cell phones directly to a broadband network in space. A year later, they even managed to make a 5G phone call from space using a standard Samsung Galaxy S22! That's pretty wild when you think about it. They are really onto something.
Now, they have launched five more satellites, called BlueBird, and they want to launch hundreds more over the next couple of years.
However, it's not all smooth sailing. There is some drama brewing between AST SpaceMobile and SpaceX. They're basically bickering over who has the right to fill up the Earth's orbit with their satellites. Space X sent a letter to the FCC raising concerns about how AST SpaceMobile could affect the sustainability of low Earth orbit.
To be fair, AST's BlueWalker 3 satellite is massive, about the size of a tennis court! But SpaceX's Starlink satellites aren't exactly problem-free either. They're known to mess with astronomical observations, even though SpaceX has tried to fix it.
With Amazon's Project Kuiper and other companies also joining the space race, it seems like SpaceX's dominance in low Earth orbit might be coming to an end. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.
Source: Gizmodo