AST SpaceMobile
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite design and manufacturing |
| Predecessor | AST & Science LLC |
| Founded | May 2017 |
| Founder | Abel Avellan |
| Headquarters | Midland, Texas , United States |
Key people | Abel Avellan (Chairman and CEO) |
| Products | SpaceMobile satellite constellation, BlueWalker 3, BlueBird satellites |
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. is a publicly listed company specializing in satellite design and manufacturing, based in Midland, Texas, United States. The firm is creating the SpaceMobile satellite constellation, a satellite-driven cellular broadband system that allows standard, unaltered smartphones to connect directly with satellites in areas lacking traditional coverage. Its BlueWalker 3 prototype and BlueBird commercial satellites, launched in 2022 and 2024 respectively, possess some of the largest commercial communication arrays deployed in low Earth orbit.
History
Established in May 2017 by Abel Avellan under the name AST & Science LLC, AST SpaceMobile has its headquarters in Midland, Texas. Avellan, a Venezuelan-born U.S. citizen who continues to serve as chairman and CEO, has a background that includes a tenure at Ericsson and founding Emerging Markets Communications in 1999, which was sold for $550 million in 2016.
In March 2018, AST & Science gained a controlling stake in NanoAvionics, a Lithuanian satellite manufacturer. Two years later, in March 2020, the company secured $110 million through a Series B funding round led by Vodafone and Rakuten, with additional investment from Samsung Next, American Tower, and Cisneros.
The company transitioned to AST SpaceMobile following its April 2021 merger with New Providence Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). This merger led to the firm's listing on Nasdaq shortly thereafter. New Providence had previously raised $462 million via IPO and PIPE financing to support the development of the satellite network.
AST SpaceMobile began generating revenue from a U.S. government contract in 2024 but anticipates significant income from mobile network operators such as AT&T and Verizon once its BlueBird 1-5 satellites become fully operational. The agreements it holds encompass operators serving more than 2.8 billion subscribers worldwide.
In July 2022, Nokia was awarded a five-year contract to provide 4G and 5G services for AST SpaceMobile. Subsequently, in September 2022, the company divested its majority ownership of NanoAvionics to Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
January 2024 saw AST SpaceMobile enter into a collaboration with Google and AT&T aimed at developing satellite connectivity solutions for Android smartphones. Later, in May 2024, it announced a $100 million partnership with Verizon focused on expanding coverage into remote regions of the United States beyond terrestrial networks.
Following confirmation of its inaugural commercial satellite launch in early September 2024, AST SpaceMobile's stock price soared to $38.60 per share—an increase of nearly 1,800% compared to April lows—elevating its market capitalization beyond $8 billion. In December 2024, it secured a commercial agreement to deliver space-based cellular broadband services to Vodafone across Europe and Africa through 2034 and conducted the first test mobile video call on an unmodified smartphone the following month.
BlueWalker 1
BlueWalker 1 marked AST & Science LLC’s initial satellite deployment when it launched on April 1, 2019. The launch took place at India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre aboard the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C45) during its 47th mission. NanoAvionics of Lithuania manufactured BlueWalker 1. The satellite re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and decayed from orbit on November 29, 2023.
BlueWalker 3
In July 2021, AST SpaceMobile finalized a launch contract with SpaceX for its second satellite, BlueWalker 3. The satellite successfully launched on September 10, 2022, via a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. BlueWalker 3 is equipped with a phased array antenna spanning 693 square feet (64 m²), which was fully deployed by November 10, 2022, providing coverage over an area exceeding 300,000 square miles. By late 2022, it was operating in low Earth orbit at altitudes between approximately 508 and 527 kilometers.
On April 25, 2023, AST SpaceMobile accomplished the first-ever two-way phone call from space using unmodified smartphones (Samsung Galaxy S22 and Apple iPhone) through BlueWalker 3 over AT&T’s existing 2G spectrum. The company then demonstrated direct-to-smartphone satellite connectivity for both 4G and 5G networks with download speeds reaching up to 21 Mbit/s. These breakthroughs enabled the inaugural space-based voice calls on standard devices using the latest cellular technologies and culminated in the first successful video call conducted via satellite between everyday smartphones during 2023.
Block 1 BlueBird
In March 2022, AST SpaceMobile finalized a multi-launch agreement with SpaceX to deploy its inaugural BlueBird operational satellite. The organization intends to produce as many as six BlueBird satellites each month within two Midland, Texas manufacturing sites, encompassing a combined area of 185,000 square feet. The initial Block 1 BlueBird satellite deployments experienced postponements due to supply chain disruptions and rising expenses.
On September 12, 2024, AST SpaceMobile successfully launched five satellites (BlueBird 1 through 5) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch event at Cape Canaveral attracted hundreds of retail investors. By October 4, 2024, the first Block 1 satellite had fully deployed ahead of the planned schedule, and by October 25, all five satellites were completely operational.
Block 2 BlueBird
AST SpaceMobile revealed on November 14, 2024, plans for a launch campaign involving its advanced Block 2 BlueBird satellites. The company aims to deploy up to 60 satellites utilizing multiple launch service providers, including Blue Origin’s forthcoming New Glenn rocket, SpaceX, and ISRO. Each satellite is equipped with a communication array covering roughly 2,400 square feet (223 square meters), designed to support data transfer rates reaching up to 120 Mbps. This capability facilitates voice, data, and video communications for end users.
Licenses
In April 2020, AST & Science LLC submitted a request to the Federal Communications Commission seeking authorization to operate a satellite constellation consisting of 243 spacecraft arranged in 16 orbital planes at altitudes ranging between .
Initially, NASA expressed concerns over potential collision risks with the A-train satellite cluster due to the proposed orbital parameters and constellation size. Following discussions between AST SpaceMobile and NASA aimed at resolving these issues, NASA revised its position in November 2020 and indicated no objections regarding license approval. Support for the petition also came from several U.S. Senators and a Congressman.
U.S. wireless carrier AT&T partnered with AST SpaceMobile to expand satellite-based wireless coverage into underserved regions. AT&T backed AST’s FCC license application, while competitors T-Mobile and Verizon initially opposed it. However, in May 2024 Verizon joined as an investor and strategic collaborator, allowing AST SpaceMobile to access portions of both AT&T’s and Verizon’s 850 MHz spectrum bands. This partnership aims to deliver comprehensive geographic coverage throughout the continental United States.
In May 2022, the FCC issued an experimental license to AST for the BlueWalker 3 satellite. By August 2024, authorization was granted for operations on frequencies related to the initial BlueBird 1–5 mission, including gateway and telemetry functions. As of November 2024, the FCC has not yet approved AST SpaceMobile’s use of terrestrial cellular frequencies required for commercial satellite-to-cellular services.
Impact on astronomy
The SpaceMobile satellite network has drawn criticism for increasing light pollution and causing radio-frequency interference that disrupts telescopes operating beyond visible wavelengths. Observations following BlueWalker 3’s deployment in November 2022 revealed it as exceptionally bright—often reaching first magnitude when near the zenith.
Subsequent analysis detected three temporary decreases in brightness linked to adjustments in the satellite’s flat-panel orientation aimed at optimizing solar energy collection. This indicates that modifying spacecraft positioning can diminish brightness levels and help lessen astronomical interference.
Additional concerns focus on the growing number of similar AST SpaceMobile satellites, which collectively pose risks to astronomical imaging by producing bright streaks and contributing to ambient skyglow that obscures faint celestial bodies. In response, AST SpaceMobile is working alongside the National Science Foundation to develop strategies that minimize their satellites’ impact on astronomical observations.
Dispute over proposed utilization of 430-440MHz spectrum
In June 2025, AST SpaceMobile submitted a petition to the FCC seeking authorization to employ extra frequency ranges for telemetry purposes, specifically the 430-440MHz band designated for Non-US emergency TT&C communications. This proposal incited considerable resistance, evidenced by 2,433 responses from amateur radio operators and formal protests from 17 national amateur radio organizations representing nations including Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Brazil, among others. The opposition underscored apprehensions regarding possible disruption to current amateur radio activities.