AST SpaceMobile Readies Falcon 9 Launch of Three BlueBird Satellites with 2,400-Sq-Ft Arrays
ASTS•AST SpaceMobile’s three BlueBird satellites, each with 2,400-square-foot arrays, completed encapsulation aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 ahead of a June 17 Cape Canaveral launch. The new units aim to deliver nearly double Block 1 peak speeds and support ASTS’s goal to deploy 45 direct-to-cell satellites this year.
1. Launch Details
BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10 completed encapsulation inside a Falcon 9 booster and are scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral on June 17 at 2:39 a.m. EDT, marking AST SpaceMobile’s first mission since the April BlueBird 7 anomaly.
2. Satellite Capabilities
Each BlueBird unit carries deployable 2,400-square-foot communication arrays, making them among the largest commercial spacecraft in low-Earth orbit and designed to deliver nearly twice the peak data speeds of Block 1 satellites, which previously achieved download rates up to 98.9 Mbps on unmodified smartphones.
3. Constellation Rollout
CEO Abel Avellan confirmed the company remains on track to launch 45 direct-to-cell satellites this year, using each new deployment to expand network capacity, enhance coverage, and accelerate the build-out of its space-based cellular broadband platform.
4. Market Impact
ASTS shares jumped over 3% overnight on launch optimism before a 6% decline Wednesday, while the leveraged ASTX ETF climbed 6%, reflecting heightened investor interest in space communications stocks following SpaceX’s robust market debut.
