Sunday’s Blue Origin launch marks a significant milestone in the space race involving Amazon Leo, AST SpaceMobile, and SpaceX’s Starlink. The success of this launch could break SpaceX’s dominance in reusable orbital launch vehicles, fueling competition to eliminate “No Service” on mobile devices. Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn rocket, with a reused first-stage booster from November’s mission, is crucial for cost efficiency, echoing SpaceX Falcon 9’s success. Amazon requires a reusable rocket for its Leo satellite program, having launched only 241 satellites compared to SpaceX’s 1,500 Starlink satellites over the same period. The mission will deploy AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 to low Earth orbit, which uses fewer but more powerful satellites compared to Amazon and SpaceX’s strategies. BlueBird 7’s 2,400-square-foot phased-array antenna is the largest commercial array in low Earth orbit, providing 4G and 5G broadband services exceeding 120 Mbps. AST aims for 45 to 60 satellites by end-2026, competing with Starlink’s direct-to-cell service and Globalstar, now linked to Amazon for iPhone and Apple Watch connectivity in dead zones. Blue Origin’s New Glenn mission window is from 6:45–8:45 AM on Sunday, April 19th. Godspeed.
A Massive Cell Tower Launches to Space This Weekend
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