SPACEMOBILE-004
SPACEMOBILE-004 is part of AST SpaceMobile's direct-to-device satellite network, a modern attempt to connect ordinary mobile phones through large low-Earth-orbit communications spacecraft. The concept brings satellite communications into direct contact with everyday terrestrial cellular networks rather than requiring a dedicated satellite handset.
Object identity
- NORAD ID
- 61049
- COSPAR ID
- 2024-163E
- Operator
- Not listed
- Country
- Not listed
- Launch date
- Not listed
Immediate discovery
Why this satellite matters
The mission is a useful place to explain link budgets: received power falls rapidly with distance, so antenna gain, frequency, bandwidth, transmitter power and geometry all matter when trying to close a communications link from orbit to a small phone antenna.
Understanding the mission
Science and engineering ideas
The mission is a useful place to explain link budgets: received power falls rapidly with distance, so antenna gain, frequency, bandwidth, transmitter power and geometry all matter when trying to close a communications link from orbit to a small phone antenna.
Mission
Mission and purpose
The current public orbital catalog identifies this object, but verified mission-specific information may be limited. TransitSatellite will expand this page when authoritative information is available.
- The mission is a useful place to explain link budgets: received power falls rapidly with distance, so antenna gain, frequency, bandwidth, transmitter power and geometry all matter when trying to close a communications link from orbit to a small phone antenna.
Design
Engineering
The mission is a useful place to explain link budgets: received power falls rapidly with distance, so antenna gain, frequency, bandwidth, transmitter power and geometry all matter when trying to close a communications link from orbit to a small phone antenna.
Real orbital values
The mathematics
The current two-line element set reports approximately 15.2051 revolutions per day. Dividing 1,440 minutes by that value gives an estimated orbital period of 94.7 minutes.
Period
94.7 min
Representative speed
27,397 km/h
Representative altitude
511 km
Inclination
52.98°
Launch record
Launch and deployment
The orbital catalog lists the launch designator as 2024-163E. A fully sourced launch story, launch vehicle, deployment sequence, historical weather, and documented delays have not yet been added to this page.
Orbit
LEO orbit explained
Low Earth orbit is the region closest to Earth used by most crewed spacecraft, many science missions, Earth-observation satellites, and large constellations. Objects move quickly and commonly complete an orbit in roughly 90 to 130 minutes.
LEO can provide detailed Earth views, lower communications delay, and easier access than higher orbits, but it covers less area per spacecraft and is more affected by atmospheric drag.
Live TransitSatellite experience
See SPACEMOBILE-004 moving now
Open the live tracker to view its current calculated position, trajectory, orbital information, visibility tools, and Save and Share controls.
Learning
Questions to explore
- What can an orbit tell us before the mission is fully identified?
- Why are stable catalog identifiers important?
Evidence
Sources and data notes
Current identity and orbital elements come from CelesTrak’s public GP data. Calculated orbit values are derived from the current TLE and may change after catalog updates. Mission-history claims are added separately and require authoritative sources.
Catalog updated
Sep 17, 2026, 1:04 AM UTC
Story review
1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z