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With 2,400 Square Feet of Aperture and Capacity of Up to 120 Mbps, the BlueBird 6 Inaugurates the Largest Commercial Communications Network in Low Earth Orbit, with Plans to Launch Between 45 and 60 Satellites and Serve Nearly 3 Billion Subscribers Through Agreements with More Than 50 Mobile Operators
AST SpaceMobile announced on February 10 the deployment of the BlueBird 6, a satellite with 2,400 square feet that establishes the largest commercial communications network ever seen in low Earth orbit, providing cellular broadband of up to 120 Mbps directly to standard smartphones.
Largest Communications Network in Low Earth Orbit
AST SpaceMobile, based in the USA, successfully deployed the BlueBird 6, its newest and most ambitious satellite. With approximately 2,400 square feet, about 223 square meters, it holds the record for the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit.
The announcement was made on February 10. The satellite was designed to provide cellular broadband directly to standard smartphones, without modifications. The system aims to achieve maximum speeds of 120 megabits per second.
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According to the company, the BlueBird 6 offers 10 times more bandwidth than its predecessors in the BlueBird 1-5 series. The structure integrates a huge array of antennas responsible for enabling high-performance connectivity.
Beamforming Technology and 4G and 5G Services
The system utilizes beamforming technology to concentrate signals in narrow, high-quality coverage areas. This ensures that 4G and 5G services, including video calls, work effectively.
The large aperture of the array allows for beam formation, creating narrow and highly focused coverage zones on the ground. The satellite precisely concentrates signals to eliminate interference and enhance network capacity.
According to the company, the aperture enables complete 4G and 5G cellular broadband services, including voice, data, and video for standard smartphones, without modifications, in any location.
“The BlueBird 6 is the result of combining specialized American manufacturing with world-class engineering ingenuity,” said Abel Avellan, founder, chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile.
Avellan stated that the teams contribute to developing unprecedented capabilities that will change how the world connects in a market created by the company itself. He added that the unique design and proprietary process are being developed internally.
Launch Schedule and Expansion of the Communications Network
On December 23, 2025, the BlueBird 6 took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre aboard India’s LVM3 rocket. With the satellite fully deployed, the company is directing attention to the launch of the BlueBird 7.
The BlueBird 7 is scheduled for the end of February, aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. The company plans to launch between 45 and 60 satellites by the end of the year.
Each satellite is expected to carry 10 gigahertz of bandwidth to serve millions of mobile users. With launches scheduled every one to two months, the goal is to create continuous global coverage.
The Texas-based startup has established strategic partnerships with AT&T, Verizon, Google, and Vodafone. With over 50 agreements with mobile operators, the company claims it can reach nearly 3 billion subscribers worldwide.
This structure allows for the integration of space-based broadband with existing global telecommunications infrastructures, expanding the communications network’s reach on a worldwide scale.
Scientific Impacts and Concerns About Orbital Brightness
Since the launch of the BlueWalker 3 prototype in 2022, AST SpaceMobile has demonstrated the viability of cell towers in space. In 2023, the satellite facilitated the first 5G call to a standard smartphone.
The technical success of the mission, including the deployment of five additional large-scale satellites, has intensified an industrial space race that concerns the scientific community.
Astronomers warn that large arrays, comparable in size to tennis courts, are outshining most stars and occupying the night sky.
Observations from the first BlueBird series recorded an average brightness of 3.44, with peaks of 0.5, making them some of the brightest objects in the night sky. This creates visual interference that threatens ground-based telescopes.
Additionally, the expansion of mega-constellations of satellites fuels an orbital crisis marked by extreme congestion and a higher risk of the Kessler syndrome, a chain reaction of collisions that could make space unusable.
The advancement of the largest commercial communications network ever seen in low Earth orbit occurs, therefore, in parallel with debates about space sustainability and impacts on astronomical observation.
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