AST SpaceMobile will launch BlueBird satellites 11, 12, and 13 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on August 5 from Cape Canaveral.
- The mission follows June's successful deployment of BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10 and supports the company's plan to begin beta services later this year.
- AST SpaceMobile said the new satellites feature an upgraded design capable of delivering nearly double the peak download speeds of its first-generation BlueBird satellites.
- The company said satellites 14 through 16 are already in production, with manufacturing progressing through satellite 42 as it expands its constellation.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) announced Wednesday it will launch its next three BlueBird satellites aboard a SpaceX (SPCX) Falcon 9 rocket on August 5.
Shares of both companies traded lower in pre-market hours amid a broader selloff across the space sector.
ASTS stock fell 2.4% in early morning trade, and SPCX stock was down 2.6%, alongside a 2.5% drop in the Tema Space Innovators ETF (NASA), reflecting a sector-wide drop. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around ASTS remained in ‘bearish’ territory over the past day, while sentiment around SPCX dipped to ‘bearish’ from the ‘neutral’ zone.
AST SpaceMobile Sets Next Falcon 9 Mission
AST SpaceMobile stated its BlueBird satellites 11, 12, and 13 are scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:42 a.m. ET, with a backup window at 5:10 a.m. The mission follows AST SpaceMobile's successful Falcon 9 launch in June, which deployed BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10 into orbit.
The company also stated that already preparing satellites 14, 15, and 16, while manufacturing has advanced through satellite 42, underscoring its plans to rapidly scale its low-Earth orbit constellation.
"This orbital launch, combined with expanded manufacturing capacity and the recent successful launch and deployment of BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10, position us for beta services later this year with our space-based cellular broadband coverage," said AST SpaceMobile President Scott Wisniewski.
New Satellites Bring Performance Upgrades
The latest BlueBird satellites incorporate AST SpaceMobile's stackable architecture and lightweight carbon-composite structures, a design intended to improve the efficiency of launching multiple satellites aboard a single Falcon 9 mission.
According to the company, the upgraded satellites are expected to deliver nearly double the peak download speeds achieved by its first-generation Block 1 spacecraft, which previously reached download speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to unmodified smartphones.
Shares of SpaceX, which began trading on Nasdaq under the SPCX ticker in June, have fallen more than 50% from its all-time high and have traded below its $135 IPO price for eight consecutive sessions.
AST SpaceMobile has also struggled, with the stock down about 18% over the past month.
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