CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Wednesday, carrying three more satellites for AST SpaceMobile’s growing broadband constellation.
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 happened just before 4 a.m. More than eight minutes later, the rocket’s first-stage booster landed on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic — marking the 645th Falcon 9 booster recovery in SpaceX history.
It was also the 30th flight for the booster.
The three satellites — BlueBird 11, 12, and 13 — are now in low Earth orbit.
According to SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile is building a constellation designed to deliver space-based broadband directly to unmodified smartphones. The FCC has authorized the company to deploy up to 248 satellites. It currently holds agreements with nearly 60 mobile networks globally, including AT&T, Verizon, and Vodafone.
CEO Abel Avellan said the next trio — BlueBirds 14, 15, and 16 — are close behind, with production running through satellite 42.