AST SpaceMobile has confirmed that its second next-generation satellite, BlueBird 7, will lift off in late February from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36 aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn vehicle. Identical in design to BlueBird 6, the new satellite carries a 2,400-square-foot commercial communications array—3.5 times the size of its first five BlueBird prototypes. This array, backed by over 3,800 patent and patent-pending claims, is engineered to deliver peak space-based broadband speeds up to 120 Mbps for voice, data and streaming directly to unmodified smartphones.

AST SpaceMobile’s operations remain almost entirely U.S.-based, with 95% vertical integration housed in nearly half a million square feet of facilities in Midland, Texas. The company’s workforce of 1,800 engineers, technicians and support staff manage all critical manufacturing processes under U.S. export control, accelerating production cycles and quality assurance as the firm prepares to scale from prototype missions to a full commercial constellation.

With commercial service targeted for 2026, AST SpaceMobile is positioning BlueBird 7 as a milestone toward global 4G/5G coverage. Management projects potential revenue of $35–50 million in the coming quarter and anticipates a threefold increase to nearly $200 million in 2026 as the constellation expands. The company plans to host supportive shareholders at a live launch event and will webcast the mission, underlining its strategy to bolster investor engagement ahead of regulatory approvals and network roll-out.