Dr. John Barentine FRASJul 12, 2025

At ~200 m2, these things are going to be very bright. The prototype BlueWalker 3 (64 m2) reached an apparent magnitude of +0.4.

"The #FM1 marks AST’s first attempt at sending up a second-generation BlueBird #satellite, which spans around 200 square meters — or about three times the size of the company’s first-generation BlueBirds. The FM1 weighs in at nearly 13,000 pounds and features a "phased array antenna" at about 199 square meters, letting it operate as a cell tower in space." (via @PCMag)

https://www.pcmag.com/news/despite-spacex-protests-fcc-clears-ast-spacemobiles-massive-satellite

#Space #SCS

DHMosquitoAug 8, 2023
FM-2 Wildcat, Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors. This is an aircraft that should have become obsolescent during the war, with its magnificent replacement the F6F Hellcat taking its place with the USN fleet carriers; but the need for handy fighters which could operate from 'jeep' carriers in the Pacific, or off escort carrier decks in the Atlantic meant that General Motors turned out thousands of the FM-1 and the more powerful FM-2 version at the behest of Grumman. Capable of taking on a Zero, or attacking a U-Boat with 6 x 5" underwing rockets, the FM-2 was still useful at war's end. This example is taking off from Barnes Regional Airport, Massachusetts. #USA #USN #RN #Grumman #WW2 #Pacific #Atlantic #Zero #Hellcat #BarnesRegionalAirport #Massachusetts #avgeek #escortcarrier #aircraftcarrier #fleetcarrier #jeepcarrier #FM2 #FM1 #GeneralMotors #EasternAircraftDivision #UBoat #underwingrockets #photography #history #warfare #navalwarfare