Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has won part of a contract to launch second-generation satellites for AST SpaceMobile with its New Glenn rocket. Earlier today, AST SpaceMobile announced contracted launches for 2025 and 2026, using SpaceX's rockets and the New Glenn to build its new satellite constellation. The firm also reported its third-quarter earnings, and during the call, CEO Abel Avellan added that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will also provide launch services for his firm. SpaceX launched AST's first-generation BlueBird satellites with the Falcon 9 in September after launching the larger BlueWalker 3 satellite in 2022.
Blue Origin Asserts New Glenn Rocket Is On Track For A 2024 Launch
The launch contracts announced by AST SpaceMobile today are for the firm's Block 2 BlueBird satellites. These satellites are designed to create a network that enables a space-based mobile broadband network that can be used by government agencies and the public. The network is designed to rely on regular cell towers and satellites, and the Block 2 satellites aim to support up to 120 Mbps in transfer speeds, according to AST.
While SpaceX was the sole launch service provider for AST's BlueBird 1 and BlueWalker 3 satellites, the firm also contracted Blue Origin for the Block 2 spacecraft. As part of its release, AST shared that the firm will utilize Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket along with "existing launch vehicles" to build out the Block 2 BlueBird satellite constellation.
AST's 2022 contract with SpaceX was heavily redacted and did not share either the price per launch or the milestone payments. This time around, while AST's press release did not mention which 'existing' vehicles it would rely on, the firm's third-quarter earnings call with analysts was more forthcoming.
During the event, CEO Abel Avellan shared that his firm was announcing "new launch services agreements with Blue Origin and SpaceX." These agreements will launch 60 Block 2 BlueBird satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida between 2025 and 2026. Avellan was impressed by New Glenn's large fairing, which, he outlined, will be able to "launch up to 8 of the largest-ever Block 2 satellites."
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched five Block 1 BlueBird satellites in September, with each satellite weighing 1,500 kilograms and having a 64 square meter phased array antenna. AST is also "planning our next launch with ISRO," the Indian space agency added Avellan. ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launched AST's BlueWalker 1 satellite in 2019 for the firm's first satellite launch.
As for Blue Origin, the firm reiterated today that the New Glenn is on track for its first launch in 2024. With less than two months remaining before the year ends, the firm is busy preparing its rocket in Florida. It mated the first and second stages of the New Glenn earlier this week as part of preparations for the rocket's first-ever integrated hot fire test. If this test is successful, then Blue Origin will be confident in moving ahead with a launch after potentially running some tests before attempting to launch and then land a first-stage rocket booster.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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