MIDLAND, Texas, May 8, 2026, 15:11 (CDT)
AST SpaceMobile aims to get its next three BlueBird satellites off the ground with a SpaceX Falcon 9 in mid-June, hustling to recover after a Blue Origin launch stranded its previous satellite in the wrong orbit—raising new questions around its 2026 deployment timeline. The company reports that 32 of its next-gen satellites are already deep into assembly, sticking to a stated goal of launches roughly every one to two months.
The schedule is key here: AST is shifting from just showing off tech to demonstrating it can actually deliver a commercial direct-to-device network—satellites linking up with regular phones, no need for extra hardware. Any delay in launch isn’t just about rockets anymore; it means coverage gets pushed back, revenue takes a hit, and the company has a tougher time making its case against larger competitors.
AST jumped 14.4% to $74.77 late Friday, bringing its market cap to roughly $20.4 billion. More than 19 million shares changed hands, and the stock hit an intraday peak at $75.30.
Retail interest is a big factor here. On Friday, Bloomberg pointed out that AST has drawn a crowd of online investors, notably one who goes by “the Kook.” That attention has pushed the stock into the spotlight as a speculative space play. The shares have surged 6,000%, Bloomberg reported. Bloomberg
The new launch plan comes after the April 19 BlueBird 7 failure. According to AST, the satellite separated from Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket and powered up, but the upper stage left it in an orbit that was too low for the mission to continue; the satellite will be de-orbited, and AST expects insurance to cover its cost. BlueBird 8 through 10 should be ready to ship in roughly 30 days, the company added.
Reuters said New Glenn’s reusable booster stuck the landing on that flight, but the rocket still missed the mark with AST’s satellite, leaving it in the wrong orbit. That mixed outcome highlights a dilemma for AST: the company is up against SpaceX’s Starlink in the satellite connectivity race, yet it depends on SpaceX launches to maintain progress on its own network.
BlueBird satellites come in on the larger side for communications satellites. According to AST, these new models pack phased-array antennas—almost 2,400 square feet each—and run on the company’s own AST5000 chip (that’s an ASIC), which is built to hit peak speeds up to 120 megabits per second in each coverage cell.
Regulators are giving AST a lift. In April, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission cleared the company to roll out and operate as many as 248 satellites, tapping the 700 MHz and 800 MHz bands for supplemental space coverage. Partners on board include Verizon, AT&T and FirstNet. CEO Abel Avellan put it simply: AST is “accelerating deployment of our constellation” and edging toward commercial launch. Business Wire
But the commercial story hinges on how quickly launches ramp up. AST logged $70.9 million in 2025 revenue and listed over $1.2 billion in signed revenue commitments, according to a March business update with the SEC. The company is aiming for 45 to 60 satellites up by end-2026.
Still, switching to SpaceX doesn’t eliminate AST’s biggest hurdle. The Motley Fool referenced satellite analyst Tim Farrar, who leads TMF Associates, expressing doubts about AST’s ability to hit its 2026 goal. He’s expecting anywhere from 21 to 42 satellites launched this year. There’s a catch, too: New Glenn can fit more AST satellites per trip than Falcon 9, so if Falcon 9 keeps being the workhorse, meeting that year-end number only gets tougher.
AST is set for its first-quarter business update call at 5 p.m. Eastern time on Monday. Management plans to cover results and address questions from both retail and institutional holders. The market’s attention is zeroed in on launch schedules, cash burn, insurance recovery, and any updates on the 45-satellite goal.
