A 693-square-foot antenna in orbit: how AST SpaceMobile set out to connect ordinary phones from space

September 18, 2026 Benjamin

Abel Avellan founded AST SpaceMobile in 2017 in Midland, Texas, with the goal of building a satellite network that could connect directly to standard mobile phones without specialised satellite handsets.

The technical challenge was to create space-based cellular infrastructure compatible with ordinary operator spectrum and consumer devices.

What followed was not a straight expansion into every adjacent market. AST SpaceMobile moved through specific technical and commercial turning points that gradually changed what customers expected from it.

BlueWalker 1 tested the concept backwards

AST launched BlueWalker 1 in 2019 with a phone-like device in space communicating with antennas on the ground, validating elements of the direct-to-cell architecture.

This was an important turning point because it expanded what AST SpaceMobile could offer or the markets it could address. The effect becomes clearer when viewed as part of the longer sequence of changes that followed.

The 2021 public listing financed a much larger constellation plan

AST SpaceMobile became publicly traded through a business combination and used public capital to continue satellite development.

For AST SpaceMobile, access to public markets was more than a branding milestone. It increased financial transparency and created another route to fund expansion, acquisitions or long-term product development.

BlueWalker 3 proved direct phone calls and data from orbit

The large BlueWalker 3 prototype launched in 2022 and later enabled direct voice and video calls using unmodified smartphones and partner mobile-network spectrum.

Mobile technology rewarded companies that could scale rapidly while adapting to new standards and device requirements. For AST SpaceMobile, the milestone widened the role it could play as connectivity became a default feature of everyday computing.

Commercial BlueBird satellites moved the project from demonstration to network

AST began deploying larger production satellites intended to provide broadband coverage in partnership with mobile operators rather than sell a separate consumer satellite service.

The satellite is trying to become another cell tower

As of 18 September 2026, aST SpaceMobile is building a space-based cellular network designed to work through existing mobile operators. Its history differs from conventional satellite internet because the target terminal is the phone already in a customer’s pocket.

Seen chronologically, the company is less a collection of unrelated products than a chain of decisions in which one capability created the conditions for the next.

For TechnologyBlog.co.za, this page is intended to serve as the company-history cornerstone for future AST SpaceMobile coverage, so product and company-news articles can link back to one factual brand background instead of repeating the full origin story.

Primary sources checked include AST SpaceMobile’s official company journey. Information reflects public material available on 18 September 2026. Official company identity cross-checked against https://ast-science.com.