Bad news for skywatchers: Five more massive satellites have entered Earth’s orbit, set to become the brightest objects at night.
The five BlueBird communication satellites launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 4:52 a.m. ET on Thursday. Each satellite has the biggest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit, according to AST SpaceMobile. In late 2022, the company’s prototype satellite’s huge array outshone everything except the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and seven brightest stars. The business is adding five more satellites as it expands its network.
AST SpaceMobile wants to build the first cell phone-accessible space-based cellular broadband network. In September 2023, the Texas business conducted the first 5G phone connection between its prototype satellite and a Samsung Galaxy S22. “We believe space-based broadband cellular connectivity will revolutionize how people connect, empowering communities and driving global economic growth,” AST SpaceMobile chairman and CEO Abel Avellan stated.
First commercial satellites launched Thursday, and AST SpaceMobile plans to construct a constellation of over 100. One bright satellite may disrupt cosmic observations.
BlueWalker 3, a prototype satellite, launched in September 2022 and deployed its array two months later. The brand boasted, “Made in TX—size matters!” On Twitter, Avellan bragged about BlueWalker 3. However, astronomers were unamused.
A Nature research published in October 2023 found that BlueWalker 3 was as brilliant as Procyon and Achernar, two of the ten brightest stars in the night sky, using various telescopes. Before unfurling its array, the spacecraft was visible to the human eye at +3.5 brightness. Its brightness rose by two magnitudes after deploying its antenna array.
New satellites are as big as the prototype, but future versions may be bigger. In a webcast, Avellan said, “We’re just getting started,” as reported by Space.com. “Our next generation of satellites will be three and a half times larger.” No formal satellite brightness rules exist.
Other companies are building space cellular towers besides AST SpaceMobile. SpaceX has launched over 7,000 satellites and continues to send fresh Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Others wanting to join include Amazon, OneWeb, and Lynk Global. The very big satellites that just arrived in Earth’s orbit signify a turning point for astronomers who observe artificial light in the night sky.
CREDIT: Allneeds, GIZMODO
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