ASTS Stock Slips Overnight Despite BlueBird 11 Heading To Cape Canaveral For Next Month’s Launch

AST SpaceMobile said BlueBirds 12 and 13 will follow soon, while production continues through BlueBird 38 in Texas.

• The company previously said BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 are targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral in the first half of August.
• The mission follows the June 17 launch of BlueBirds 8, 9 and 10, which the company says are now in orbit and operational.
• BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 are expected to deliver nearly double the peak speeds of initial Block 1 satellites.

Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) slipped over 1% overnight late Monday despite the space firm saying that BlueBird 11 is launch-bound and BlueBirds 12 and 13 are set to follow soon.

ASTS stock slid 5% on Monday, joining a broader pullback in space stocks as the sector gave back part of last week’s sharp gains. 

BlueBird 11 Moves Toward Launch Pad

AST SpaceMobile said on X that BlueBird 11 is “on its way from Midland to Cape Canaveral” ahead of next month’s orbital launch, calling the update “Execution in Motion.” The company added that BlueBirds 12 and 13 will follow soon, while production continues through BlueBird 38 in Texas.

The update comes after AST SpaceMobile said last month that BlueBird satellites 11, 12 and 13 are targeted for launch from Cape Canaveral in the first half of August. The mission will send the next batch of next-gen satellites into low Earth orbit, further expanding the company’s direct-to-device network to provide voice, data and video service to standard, unmodified smartphones.

In a June 17 mission, BlueBirds 8, 9 and 10 lifted off from Cape Canaveral aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and are now “in orbit and operational,” with BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 next in line and production continuing through BlueBird 37. 

ASTS Eyes Bigger BlueBirds, Faster Speeds 

BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 are expected to feature commercial communications arrays measuring about 2,400 square feet, matching the scale of the BlueBird satellites currently operating in orbit. AST SpaceMobile said the satellites are expected to deliver nearly double the peak data speeds of its initial Block 1 BlueBird satellites, which recently achieved peak download speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to standard smartphones.

The company is relying on a stackable satellite architecture and advanced composite carbon structures to support multi-satellite launches and faster constellation deployment.

ASTS Faces Launch Cadence Test

Investors are currently tracking whether AST SpaceMobile can scale manufacturing, ship satellites on schedule and maintain a steady launch cadence of 45 satellites by the end of the year. The company has agreements with nearly 60 mobile network operators globally, representing more than 3 billion subscribers combined. Its partners include AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Rakuten, Google, Bell, Telus, stc Group and American Tower.

AST SpaceMobile has also highlighted its U.S.-based manufacturing footprint, including its Midland, Texas facilities, as a key part of the rollout. The company has said it operates more than 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and operations facilities worldwide, supported by a workforce of more than 2,250 people and a technology platform backed by over 3,900 patents and patent-pending claims.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About ASTS?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS flipped to ‘bearish’ from ‘bullish’ levels a day ago amid a 214% jump in 24-hour message volumes.

One user said, “Launch in 4-5 weeks - all that matters. In a 2 month span, they will have 6 next gen sats up, which is more in space than the previous 2-3 years total. Progress is being made. The real question is, can they get 3 more launches Sept - December.”

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Another user said, “$ASTS Had to get more on that dip...430 more shares.”

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ASTS stock has risen 77% over the past year. 

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