Modern iPhones and some Chinese smartphone models have the ability to send messages via satellites in space in an emergency. Only a small number of smartphones support this feature because it requires special hardware. Texas-based AST SpaceMobile wants to solve this issue by providing 5G network connections directly from satellites in space to ordinary devices.
They just launched the BlueBird 6 satellite into low-Earth orbit, the largest commercial satellite ever launched. When its solar panels are deployed, it has an area of 2,400 square feet, allowing it to detect cellular phone signals on Earth even in space. All current devices can connect to this satellite without additional hardware.
AST SpaceMobile wants to launch between 45-60 more BlueBird 6 satellites into orbit throughout 2026. This will allow it to offer 5G services to customers with download speeds of up to 120 Mbps. AST SpaceMobile's technology has already been proven to work after the first 5G space call was made by them using an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 in 2022.
