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46905
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: BLUEWALKER 3 UPDATE
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BLUEWALKER 3 UPDATE: AST SpaceMobile's controversial Bluewalker 3 satellite has been orbiting Earth and communicating with ground stations for nearly a month. It is stable, following the correct orbit, and taking great pictures of the planet below:  Now for the next step: Unfurling its enormous antenna. This could happen little more than a week from now. Designed to supply 4G cell phone signals from space, Bluewalker 3's antenna is huge, 64 square meters or the size of a squash court. This flat surface orbiting 500 kilometers above Earth will reflect a lot of sunlight, which could make the satellite extremely visible to observers on the ground. Flares from Bluewalker 3 might even be brighter than Venus, outshining everything in the night sky except the Moon. While this is only a single satellite for now, AST SpaceMobile plans to launch more than 100 larger satellites called BlueBirds. Doubling the size of BlueWalker 3, the Bluebirds would appear even brighter in the sky.  Hence the controversy. Astronomers worry that these satellites could interfere with deep sky observations by groundbased telescopes. Starlink satellites are already streaking images and ruining exposures. Bluewalker 3 and the Bluebirds could be 10 to 100 times brighter. We will soon find out. Observers have been watching Bluewalker 3 since it launched on Sept. 10th. So far it is no brighter than a dim 3rd magnitude star, but its brightness could change dramatically when the antenna reaches full size. AST SpaceMobile says "we plan to unfold the array in the second half of October." Stay tuned for sightings. :( |
Responses:
[46906]
46906
From: shatterbrain, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: BLUEWALKER 3 UPDATE
| Wait till they start putting up billboard ads in space. |
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None
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