D2D rivals play musical chairs with rocket launchesD2D rivals play musical chairs with rocket launches

Globalstar, AST SpaceMobile and other satellite Internet hopefuls are racing to get their satellites onto rockets big enough to get them into space. Their goal: To offer direct-to-device (D2D) services from as many satellites as possible.

D2D services promise to connect regular smartphones to satellites, thereby virtually eliminating cellular deadzones. Apple is already offering that capability across millions of newer iPhones, and 5G operators like T-Mobile and AT&T hope to expand that capability to millions more phones, including Android phones.

But finding suitable rockets remains a bottleneck – particularly after Russia's rocket program became unusable following that country's invasion of Ukraine. After all, D2D services generally require lots and lots of large satellites.

SpaceX is currently the sector's leading rocket provider. For example, Globalstar wrote in a recent SEC filing that it "entered into a launch services agreement with SpaceX for the new satellites that will be procured for the Extended MSS Network." That's the new satellite network that Globalstar is building for Apple. Globalstar is expected to launch several dozen new satellites for Apple, though details on the companies' plans remain scarce.

Separately, AST SpaceMobile said it too plans to continue to use SpaceX rockets to get its BlueBird satellites into space. AST SpaceMobile used SpaceX to launch its first five commercial satellites this summer. The company recorded $119 million in materials and launch costs for that effort.

Rocket diversification

But AST SpaceMobile isn't putting all of its hopes on SpaceX. AST SpaceMobile this week announced it will also use rockets from Blue Origin (a rocket company owned by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos) as well as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which has launched a number of rockets over the years.

Advanced Television calculated that AST SpaceMobile will launch one satellite through ISRO, eight through SpaceX and, eventually, 32 through Blue Origin.

"With this network of 45 satellites to 60 satellites, we expect to be able to offer a cellular broadband service to many of the most important wireless markets in the world, in fact, the most valuable wireless markets in the world, including the United States, Europe, Japan," said AST SpaceMobile strategy chief Scott Wisniewski during his company's earnings call.

It's no surprise that AST SpaceMobile might want to use other rocket companies besides SpaceX. After all, SpaceX is working to launch its own constellation of D2D-capable satellites. SpaceX plans to support T-Mobile's customers with its satellites, while AST SpaceMobile plans to support customers from both AT&T and Verizon with its satellites.

A top SpaceX engineer said the company only needs to conduct four more rocket launches to complete its initial D2D satellite constellation. That constellation ought to span more than 200 satellites.

And SpaceX is wasting no time. The company today conducts rocket launches on an almost daily basis thanks to its reusable Falcon 9  rockets.

Bigger is better

But SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets may soon be eclipsed by bigger rockets – ones that can carry far more satellites into space.

SpaceX itself is hoping to conduct its sixth test of its massive Starship rocket. That rocket is the biggest ever launched.

Not to be outdone, Blue Origin is also planning to use a massive rocket of its own: The New Glenn, named after US astronaut John Glenn. However, Blue Origin has not yet tested New Glenn, and that rocket is slightly smaller than SpaceX's Starship.