A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 1-5 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) at 4:52 a.m. on 12 September 2024. After stage separation, Falcon 9's first stage landed at Landing Zone 1 at CCSFS.

This was the 13th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, O3b mPOWER, USSF-124, and nine Starlink missions.

AST SpaceMobile’s first launch of five commercial satellites is a space mission called BlueBird 1-5. These first five satellites are built on the success of our in-orbit BlueWalker 3 satellite and will provide U.S. nationwide non-continuous service with over 5,600 cells in premium low-band spectrum, with a planned 10-fold increase in processing bandwidth.

Each BlueBird satellite has a communications array measuring 693 square feet to establish connectivity directly with cell phones via 3GPP-standard frequencies, and in partnership with leading cellular service providers around the world.

The BlueBird 1-5 satellites — built by AST SpaceMobile in the company’s 185,000 square feet of assembly, integration, and testing space in Midland, Texas — will be the largest commercial communications arrays in low Earth orbit.