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SpaceX to launch AST SpaceMobile’s first space-based cell towers

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4 years ago

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AST Space Mobile says it has chosen SpaceX to launch its first operational BlueBird satellite after contracting the company to launch BlueWalker 3, its first major prototype.

An SEC filing made around the same time states that AST SpaceMobile will pay SpaceX at least $22.75 million to “adjust” its upcoming BlueWalker 3 launch contract, cover an “initial payment” for the launch of BlueBird 1, and pay the reservation fee for a second launch for BlueBird 2. While only representing three probably ‘launch service agreements,’ the decision sets SpaceX up to be the company’s primary launch provider for a constellation of as many as 243 large communications satellites.

While choosing SpaceX – the most affordable and available launch provider on Earth – is far from unexpected, the satellites SpaceX will be launching for AST are anything but traditional. Driven largely by the technical requirements of AST SpaceMobile’s goal of directly connecting unmodified mobile phones to the internet through satellite in orbit, the company has completely ignored the relatively common satellite design trope of a central ‘bus’ with two solar array ‘wings.’

Instead, AST’s BlueBird satellites will launch with their antennas effectively folded around their ‘bus’ like a giant origami cocoon. Once in orbit, using a fairly elegant extension of normal solar array deployment mechanisms, the satellite’s antenna will slowly unfold and eventually return to its default shape – a giant, flat surface. For a number of reasons, AST SpaceMobile recently decided to halve the total area of its BlueBird satellites, but the new design will still feature an immense antenna with a surface area of about 450 square meters (~4800 square feet). Only the United States’ classified Orion spy satellites likely eclipse the size of the antennas AST wants to deploy in space.

Thanks to those massive antennas, though, AST says its BlueBirds will theoretically be able to “reach over 700 million unconnected people,” though it’s less clear how many users the constellation – or a single satellite – will be able to simultaneously support. Additionally, located in low Earth orbit (LEO), an uninterrupted connection will only be possible once a string of satellites have been launched into roughly the same orbital plane. Until then, the service will be intermittent – a huge boon for emergency communications in remote areas but hard to use for much else in the interim.

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BlueWalker 3, a prototype satellite, aims to demonstrate AST SpaceMobile’s relatively exotic satellite design while simultaneously (with any luck) showing that it can connect hundreds or thousands of unmodified phones to the internet as if it were an ordinary cell tower. AST says it has already demonstrated the space-to-ground connection in a clever way by launching what amounts to mobile phone turned into a cubesat and then using that orbital phone to connect to a simulated cell tower satellite back on Earth. Developed for about $70 million, BlueWalker 3 will weigh about 1.5 tons (~3300 lb) and attempt to deploy a smaller but still representative 65-square-meter (~693 sq ft) origami-like antenna.

AST SpaceMobile hasn’t confirmed a launch date and is still working on the satellite prototype but its latest “summer 2022” target suggests it will launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-5 rideshare mission as early as June 2022.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla price target boost from its biggest bear is 95% below its current level

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3 hours ago

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January 7, 2026

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) just got a price target boost from its biggest bear, Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research, who raised his expected trading level to one that is 95 percent lower than its current trading level.

Johnson pushed his Tesla price target from $19.05 to $25.28 on Wednesday, while maintaining the ‘Sell’ rating that has been present on the stock for a long time. GLJ has largely been recognized as the biggest skeptic of Elon Musk’s company, being particularly critical of the automotive side of things.

Tesla has routinely been called out by Johnson for negative delivery growth, what he calls “weakening demand,” and price cuts that have occurred in past years, all pointing to them as desperate measures to sell its cars.

Johnson has also said that Tesla is extremely overvalued and is too reliant on regulatory credits for profitability. Other analysts on the bullish side recognize Tesla as a company that is bigger than just its automotive side.

Many believe it is a leader in autonomous driving, like Dan Ives of Wedbush, who believes Tesla will have a widely successful 2026, especially if it can come through on its targets and schedules for Robotaxi and Cybercab.

Justifying the price target this week, Johnson said that the revised valuation is based on “reality rather than narrative.” Tesla has been noted by other analysts and financial experts as a stock that trades on narrative, something Johnson obviously disagrees with.

Dan Nathan, a notorious skeptic of the stock, turned bullish late last year, recognizing the company’s shares trade on “technicals and sentiment.” He said, “From a trading perspective, it looks very interesting.”

Tesla bear turns bullish for two reasons as stock continues boost

Johnson has remained very consistent with this sentiment regarding Tesla and his beliefs regarding its true valuation, and has never shied away from putting his true thoughts out there.

Tesla shares closed at $431.40 today, about 95 percent above where Johnson’s new price target lies.

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I subscribed to Tesla Full Self-Driving after four free months: here’s why

It has been incredibly valuable to me, and that is what my main factor was in considering whether to subscribe or not. It has made driving much less stressful and much more enjoyable.

Published

13 hours ago

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January 7, 2026

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Credit: Teslarati

I have been lucky enough to experience Tesla Full Self-Driving for the entire duration of my ownership experience for free — for four months, I have not had to pay for what I feel is the best semi-autonomous driving suite on the market.

Today, my free trial finally ran out, and I had two choices: I could go without it for a period until I felt like I absolutely needed it, or I could subscribe to it, pay $99 per month, and continue to experience the future of passenger transportation.

I chose the latter, here’s why.

Tesla Full Self-Driving Takes the Stress Out of Driving

There are a handful of driving situations that I don’t really enjoy, and I think we all have certain situations that we would just rather not encounter. This is not to say that I won’t ever experience them as someone who has driven a car for 15 years (it feels weird saying that).

I don’t love to drive in cities; I really don’t like driving on I-695 on my way to Baltimore, and I truly hate parallel parking. All three things I can do and have done, all three within the past few weeks, too.

However, if I can avoid them, I will, and Tesla Full Self-Driving does that for me.

Tesla Full Self-Driving Eliminates the Monotony

I drive to my alma mater, Penn State University, frequently in the Winter as I am a season ticket holder to Wrestling and have been for 16 years now.

The drive to State College is over two hours and over 100 miles in total, and the vast majority of it is boring as I travel on Rt 322, which is straight, and there is a lot of nature to look at on the way.

I am willing to let the car drive me on that ride, especially considering it is usually very low traffic, and the vast majority of it is spent on the highway.

The drive, along with several others, is simply a boring ride, where I’d much rather be looking out the windshield and windows at the mountains. I still pay attention, but having the car perform the turns and speed control makes the drive more enjoyable.

Tesla Full Self-Driving Makes Navigating Easier

Other than the local routes that I routinely travel and know like the back of my hand, I’ve really enjoyed Full Self-Driving’s ability to get me to places — specifically new ones — without me having to constantly check back at the Navigation.

Admittedly, I’ve had some qualms with the Nav, especially with some routing and the lack of ability to choose a specific route after starting a drive. For example, it takes a very interesting route to my local Supercharger, one that nobody local to my area would consider.

But there are many times I will go to a new palce and I’m not exactly sure where to go or how to get there. The Navigation, of course, helps with that. However, it is really a luxury to have my car do it for me.

To Conclude

There was no doubt in my mind that when my Full Self-Driving trial was up, I’d be subscribing. It was really a no-brainer. I am more than aware that Full Self-Driving is far from perfect, but it is, without any doubt, the best thing about my Tesla, to me.

It has been incredibly valuable to me, and that is what my main factor was in considering whether to subscribe or not. It has made driving much less stressful and much more enjoyable.

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Tesla Diner becomes latest target of gloom and doom narrative

Published

15 hours ago

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January 7, 2026

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tesla diner
Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Diner has been subject to many points of criticism since its launch in mid-2025, and skeptics and disbelievers claim the company’s latest novel concept is on its way down, but there’s a lot of evidence to state that is not the case.

The piece cites anecdotal evidence like empty parking lots, more staff than customers during a December visit, removed novelty items, like Optimus robot popcorn service and certain menu items, the departure of celebrity chef Eric Greenspan in November 2025, slow service, high prices, and a shift in recent Google/Yelp reviews toward disappointment.

The piece frames this as part of broader Tesla struggles, including sales figures and Elon Musk’s polarizing image, calling it a failed branding exercise rather than a sustainable restaurant.

This narrative is overstated and sensationalized, and is a good representation of coverage on Tesla by today’s media.

Novelty Fade is Normal, Not Failure

Any hyped launch, especially a unique Tesla-branded destination blending dining, Supercharging, and a drive-in theater, naturally sees initial crowds taper off after the “Instagram effect” wears down.

Tesla makes major change at Supercharger Diner amid epic demand

This is common for experiential spots in Los Angeles, especially pop-up attractions or celebrity-backed venues. The article admits early success with massive lines and social media buzz, but treats the return to normal operations as “dying down.”

In reality, this stabilization is a healthy sign of transitioning from hype-driven traffic to steady patronage.

Actual Performance Metrics Contradict “Ghost Town” Claims

  • In Q4 2025, the Diner generated over $1 million in revenue, exceeding the average McDonald’s location
  • It sold over 30,000 burgers and 83,000 fries in that quarter alone. These figures indicate a strong ongoing business, especially for a single-location prototype focused on enhancing Supercharger experiences rather than competing as a mass-market chain

Conflicting On-the-Ground Reports

While the article, and other similar pieces, describe a half-full parking lot and sparse customers during specific off-peak visits, other recent accounts push back:

  • A January 2026 X post noted 50 of 80 Supercharger stalls were busy at 11 a.m., calling it “the busiest diner in Hollywood by close to an order of magnitude

  • Reddit discussions around the same time describe it as not empty when locals drive by regularly, with some calling the empty narrative “disingenuous anti-Tesla slop.”

Bottom Line

The Tesla Diner, admittedly, is not the nonstop circus it was at launch–that was never sustainable or intended. But, it’s far from “dying” or an “empty pit stop.”

It functions as a successful prototype: boosting Supercharger usage, generating solid revenue, and serving as a branded amenity in the high-traffic EV market of Los Angeles.

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