(Credit: AST SpaceMobile)
Is it a star or just a next-generation satellite?
Starlink rival AST SpaceMobile has released footage that shows all five of the company’s BlueBird satellites have successfully unfurled their massive communication arrays. But despite the technological achievement, the news is sparking worries from astronomers that the same satellites will generate light pollution across the night sky.
On Wednesday, AST SpaceMobile posted a video, confirming the unfolding of all five satellites, which each contain a 700-square-foot panel. The unfolding began with one satellite early in October, before all five were fully deployed last Friday.
“With this significant post-launch technical activity now complete, ahead of schedule at 6 weeks after the launch of the satellites, the BlueBirds are now preparing for commercial and US government operations,” the company said in a statement.
The deployment brings AST SpaceMobile a step closer to kicking off beta tests of the satellites, which are designed to beam cellular connectivity to consumer smartphones. The beta tests could start as soon as December, although the company will need to secure regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission.
In the meantime, Anthony Mallama, a retired astronomer who studies satellites for their brightness, told PCMag: “Astronomers are very concerned about interference from the large spacecraft launched by AST SpaceMobile.”
(Credit: AST SpaceMobile)A year ago, Mallama and his colleague, retired astronomer Richard E. Cole, contributed to a study that found AST SpaceMobile’s earlier prototype satellite, BlueWalker 3, often appears as a bright star in the night sky. Months earlier, the International Astronomical Union also said it was “troubled” by BlueWalker 3’s “unprecedented brightness.”
Mallama and Cole have since been working with International Astronomical Union on preventing satellites from polluting the night sky. In his email to PCMag, Mallama added: “We have been observing the BlueBird satellites since they unfolded, too. More data will be needed for a robust characterization, but we’ve found that they can be as bright as first magnitude [stars]. That makes them among the most luminous objects in the sky.”
AST SpaceMobile has plans to launch dozens of additional satellites in the coming years while rival SpaceX wants to operate thousands more. If the brightness issues persist, then the same satellites could interfere with astronomical observations. Last week, a group of over 100 astronomers urged the FCC to halt expansions of “mega constellation” satellites until their potential impact on Earth’s atmosphere can be studied.
AST SpaceMobile didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But in 2022, the company told PCMag: “We are eager to use the newest technologies and strategies to mitigate possible impacts to astronomy. We are actively working with industry experts on the latest innovations, including next-generation anti-reflective materials. We are also engaged with NASA and certain working groups within the astronomy community to participate in advanced industry solutions, including potential operational interventions.”
SpaceX has also been working with the scientific community to do the same. This has included making several design changes to prevent Starlink satellites from reflecting too much light.