ASTS Stock Rises Overnight: BlueBirds 14-16 Reach Florida, FCC Clears SDA-Backed 900-MHz Test

The FCC granted AST a 30-day authorization, from Oct.9 to Nov.8, to test radiolocation capabilities in the 902-928 MHz band over the contiguous U.S. and Hawaii.

• The company said that BlueBirds 14, 15 and 16 reached Cape Canaveral, while production in Texas continued through BlueBird 50.
• ASTS has not announced a launch date for the three satellites.
• Telus and AST completed their first network integration test covering voice, text and broadband data to smartphones.

Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) rose 1% overnight late Sunday after its next three BlueBird satellites reached Florida and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cleared a 30-day test of the company’s 900-MHz capabilities.

ASTS stock tumbled 10% on Friday to close at $50.97, posting a 13% weekly loss and its second straight weekly decline.

ASTS Advances Next Satellite Launch

AST SpaceMobile said on X over the weekend that BlueBirds 14, 15 and 16 had arrived at Cape Canaveral. The company added that satellite builds in Texas were underway through BlueBird 50 and said it was preparing the spacecraft to deliver cellular broadband to everyday smartphones and support government applications. “Next stop: orbit,” it said. The company has not announced a launch date for the three satellites.

The new spacecraft are part of AST’s Block 2 fleet, designed to connect directly with standard smartphones. Each satellite features a phased-array antenna of up to about 2,400 square feet. AST launched BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 in August, bringing its number of satellites in orbit to 13.

However, the rollout has faced setbacks. BlueBird 7 entered an orbit too low to sustain operations and was later de-orbited in April. AST now aims to have about 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027. The company expects to begin with limited, intermittent service in selected markets, with 45 to 60 satellites needed for continuous coverage across key markets.

FCC Opens 900-MHz Test Window For AST

Separately, the FCC granted AST a 30-day special temporary authorization, effective Oct.9 through Nov.8, to test radiolocation capabilities using one previously authorized satellite. The tests may use the 902-928 MHz band over the contiguous U.S. and Hawaii.

The authorization is conditional. AST must operate on a non-interference basis and coordinate with nearby primary licensees before testing. The Space Development Agency backed the application, saying the demonstration would support its evaluation of commercial satellite architectures for military sensing and targeting. 

Telus And ASTS Complete First Network Test

AST’s commercial effort also reached a milestone last week. Telus and AST said they completed their first integration test between Telus’ wireless network and AST’s space-based network. The test covered voice calls, text messages and broadband data to smartphones.

Telus said the service is expected to reach customers on eligible phones within the next year, without special equipment. The companies called the test as a step toward extending coverage to areas of Canada beyond the reach of traditional cell towers, including for emergency communications. 

How Do Retail Traders Feel About ASTS?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS jumped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ levels a week ago amid ‘high’ message volume.

One user said, “$ASTS well, we are still on track to have 14,15,16 in orbit by EOY. No word on 17,18,19 yet but I presume they will be in orbit mid/late Q1. Earnings early November will possibly bring some good nuggets. Hopefully no downgrades on sat deployment guidance or 2027 revenue. Let’s get a bounce off the 52 week low and see how this plays out.”

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Another user said, “$ASTS Heres the basic math: with this next launch, they’ll be at 16 sats. Need 45-60 for service so at minimum need 29 more. They will have launched 9 total in 2026. If that pace continues, thats 29/9 = 3.2 years till full service. if they dont pick up the pace, the entire company is cooked. I think theyre probably cooked already but nevertheless, the math is the math”

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ASTS stock has declined 30% year-to-date.

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