Overview
- AST confirmed that BlueBird satellites 11, 12 and 13 are set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in August and said its recently launched BlueBirds 8–10 are operational in orbit.
- The company reported peak download speeds of about 98.9 Mbps to ordinary smartphones from its network and said the August satellites are expected to roughly double that peak performance.
- Management has accelerated production and launches to roughly one launch every two months, with 24 additional BlueBirds (14–37) in production and a target to place those in orbit by late 2027.
- Investor interest rose after reports of talks with Rakuten and Vodafone but coverage of a possible $1 billion Rakuten joint venture remains a media report rather than a company confirmation, and large insider sales of more than 3.1 million shares have raised caution.
- Commercial revenue targets and the company’s 2026 guidance will hinge on in‑orbit commissioning, carrier integrations and ground gateway builds before service can be recognized, so upcoming launches and post‑launch testing are the key near‑term milestones to watch.