The increasingly lightened nights cloud the view of the originally so dark nocturnal firmament – both for amateur stargazers and for scientists. But light pollution is an issue that not only has a massive impact on the earth’s environment. In the orbit of the earth, too, more and more brightly lit objects are bustling about.
One of them is the BlueWalker 3 satellite, which was launched around three months ago. After its full deployment, it outshines most stars and planets. Voices from astronomy express themselves critically and look anxiously at the night sky. In addition to the new giant, hundreds of other satellites are also interfering with scientific work with the telescopes.
BlueWalker3: Extravaganter Prototyp
Behind the controversial and record-breaking BlueWalker 3 satellite is the US company AST SpaceMobile. With a surface area of 64 square meters, it is the largest commercial satellite in orbit. The aim of the gigantic antenna system is to provide conventional mobile phones with telephony and Internet in 5G quality – even in the most remote areas. This creates enthusiasm on the one hand and furore on the other.
“Everyone should have the right to access cellular broadband, regardless of where they live or work,” said Abel Avellan, CEO of AST SpaceMobile. The company wants to bridge the gaps in connectivity – a huge benefit for millions of people around the world.
However, BlueWalker 3 is only a prototype of this large project. To achieve its goal, the company wants to send a whole group of satellites into orbit.