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BlueWalker 1, 2 (BW 1, 2)
BlueWalker 1 [NanoAvionics]
BlueWalker 1 is a 6U-CubeSat built by the Lithuanian company NanoAvionics for AST & Science. AST & Science is also an investor in NanoAvionics.
The satellite was used to test AST & Science's patented technologies for connecting to cellphones in a space environment for their planned SpaceMobile constellation. The manufacturing and payload integration reportedly was done in one month. The satellite proved that it could link directly to cellphones.
The satellite was released into a lower than planned orbit due to a delayed deployment, reducing the orbital life time slightly.
Two more satellites are planned for 2020 and 2021. It now appears, that BlueWalker 2 is no longer to be launched and that the second test flight is the much larger BlueWalker 3 in 2021, which is to test a 10 m diameter deployable antenna.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Communications, technology |
| Operator: | NanoAvionics, AST & Science |
| Contractors: | NanoAvionics |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | CubeSat (6U) |
| Propulsion: | |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: | 434 km × 515 km, 97.5° |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlueWalker 1 (BW 1) | 2019-018AD | 01.04.2019 | Sr SLP | p | PSLV-QL | with EMISAT, Flock-4a 1, ..., 20, Lemur-2 96, ..., 99, M6P, Astrocast 0.2, AISTECHSAT 3, AIS/APRS/ARIS / releasesed in wrong orbit |
| BlueWalker 2 (BW 2) | - | 202x | with ? / cancelled |
- BlueWalker 1, 2 (BW 1, 2)
- BlueWalker 3 (BW 3)
- BlueBird 1, ..., TBD
