Blue Origin's next launch is all about better mobile internet from space
Blue Origin's New Glenn-3 rocket is set to launch AST SpaceMobile's latest Block 2 BlueBird satellite in late February from Cape Canaveral.
They're using the same "Never Tell Me The Odds" booster that nailed last November's mission, so expectations are high for another smooth ride.
What's cool about these new satellites?
Block 2 BlueBird satellites are game-changers for mobile internet. Each one has a huge 2,400-square-foot antenna array (the largest satellites ever commercially deployed in Low Earth orbit once launched) and can deliver up to 10 times more bandwidth than before.
That mission will carry one satellite, BlueBird 7/BlueBird Block 2 FM2, aiming to give you fast, always-on cellular broadband—think peak speeds of 120 Mbps per coverage cell.
The big picture: near-total US coverage
AST SpaceMobile aims to provide space-based mobile service across the US.
Their plan calls for additional satellites to expand coverage—so laggy connections could soon be a thing of the past.