ISRO to launch US satellite to enable voice calls via smartphones from Space

The Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) is likely to launch an American communications satellite, which will allow phone calls to be made directly from space.

This will be the first time when a US company  introduces a massive communications satellite in a rocket from India, according to a report by NDTV. As of now, India has launched only small satellites manufactured by American entities.

“In February or March we will be launching a US satellite for mobile communication. This satellite will enable voice communication on mobile phones. It will be an interesting mission,” the report quotes Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.

AST SpaceMobile to manufacture the satellite

However, there is no official confirmation of the American company that will manufacture the communications satellite. According to experts, AST SpaceMobile, a Texas-based company, is expected to launch the communication satellite from Sriharikota, the report added.

AST SpaceMobile has stated that users can use any smartphone to make voice calls. Other satellite-based Internet and voice call providers ask their subscribers to purchase separate handsets or terminals, such as the Starlink.

In an investor call last year, Abel Avellan, the CEO of AST SpaceMobile, confirmed that it will use the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) to launch a single Block 2 of the Bluebird satellite, the report said, citing US media reports.

The Bluebird satellite will have a 64 square-meter antenna, half the size of a football field. Its weight will be approximately 6,000 kg.

The report quoted Abel Avellan's earlier statement that they "invented a technology that connects satellites directly to ordinary cell phones and provides broadband internet through the largest ever commercial phase array in low Earth orbit."

He said that AST SpaceMobile's mission aims to close the global connectivity gap and digitally transform nations by bringing "affordable 5G broadband service from space to billions of people worldwide, direct to everyday smartphones."