AST SpaceMobile ASIC Chip Enters Tape-Out Phase in Collaboration with TSMC

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (“AST SpaceMobile”) (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones designed for both commercial and government use, proudly announces the commencement of the tape-out phase for its Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), in collaboration with TSMC, the world's leading foundry.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240327367837/en/

AST SpaceMobile Asics rendering (Photo: Business Wire)

As the cornerstone of AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird Block 2 program, the AST5000 ASIC is a novel, custom and low-power architecture developed to enable up to a tenfold improvement in processing bandwidth on each satellite, unlocking opportunities for seamless space-based cellular broadband services worldwide. This significant milestone marks the culmination of over four years of dedicated research, development, and engineering expertise, equivalent to an estimated 150 man-years of intensive work, as well as approximately $45 million of development.

"The commencement of the tape-out process for our ASIC, in collaboration with TSMC and other leaders in the semiconductor industry, is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our talented team," said Abel Avellan, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “As we advance towards the orbital launch of our Block 1 BlueBird satellites in the upcoming months, we are simultaneously making steady progress on the technology underlying our Block 2 satellites. This achievement underscores our relentless pursuit of innovation to address the growing demand for global connectivity, With the ASIC at the heart of our Block 2 program, we are a big step closer to ushering in a new era of satellite communications, helping to empower people with reliable connectivity, regardless of their location.”

AST SpaceMobile has achieved 3 Bits/Hertz using BlueWalker 3 and has planned capacity of up to 40 MHz per beam on its commercial satellites, which is planned to support 120 Mbps peak data rates. With our planned ASICs and 2,400 sq ft BlueBird satellite size, we expect to support up to 10,000 MHz of processing bandwidth per satellite in the future to enable the first and only space-based cellular broadband network.