TAMPA, Fla. — AST SpaceMobile successfully unfolded its first five production satellites after compacting them for their SpaceX launch to low Earth orbit (LEO) last month, the direct-to-smartphone broadband constellation developer announced Oct. 25. Each unfolded Block 1 BlueBird spans about 64 square meters, featuring the largest solar array commercially deployed to LEO and matching the size of AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker-3 prototype launched two years ago. The Texas-based venture said it is continuing to conduct in-orbit health checks for the spacecraft to prepare them for operations in the United States,…
