New Glenn’s seven-meter fairing could enable larger BlueBird batches under AST’s multi-launch agreement with Blue Origin.
- Jeff Bezos said New Glenn is targeting a December return after an engine-test explosion in May, with Blue Ring scheduled as the next payload.
- Blue Origin plans three additional launch pads and is seeking FAA authorization to increase annual New Glenn launches from 12 to 50.
- AST targets about 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027 without relying on a 2026 Blue Origin flight.
Shares of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS) remained on course for a weekly gain as Jeff Bezos’ December target for Blue Origin’s rocket comeback fueled retail hopes for faster satellite launches and a return to record highs.
ASTS stock fell 4% on Wednesday to $60.65 but remained up about 4% for the week after Tuesday’s 8% rally.
Bezos Maps New Glenn’s December Return
Bezos told Fox News on Wednesday that New Glenn is preparing to return in December after an engine-test explosion in May.
The next mission will carry Blue Ring, a spacecraft to transport payloads between orbits and farther into space. Bezos also laid out plans to build three additional launch pads and eventually increase flights from daily to hourly and, ultimately, every minute.
In its September draft environmental assessment, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) outlined Blue Origin’s request to increase the maximum annual New Glenn launch rate at Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 36 from 12 to 50. Public comments are due by the end of this month.
Why ASTS Investors Are Watching New Glenn
AST’s connection to New Glenn dates back to November 2024, when Blue Origin announced a multi-launch agreement to deliver multiple next-gen Block 2 BlueBird satellites over several years. New Glenn’s seven-meter fairing provides twice the payload volume of standard five-meter-class commercial launch systems.
At the time, AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan said that capacity “enables us to deploy more of our Block 2 BlueBird satellites in orbit,” supporting continuous cellular broadband coverage in key markets.
ASTS Targets 45 Satellites Without Counting On Blue Origin
New Glenn’s April 19 mission carrying BlueBird 7 ended with the satellite in an unusable orbit. In its statement issued the same day, AST said that the rocket’s upper stage placed BlueBird 7 into a lower-than-planned orbit. The satellite separated and powered on, but its altitude was too low to sustain operations using its onboard thrusters.
AST said the satellite would be deorbited and expected to recover its cost through insurance. At that point, the company continued to target 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026. However, the May engine-test explosion disrupted Blue Origin’s return-to-flight preparations.
AST SpaceMobile is now targeting about 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027, with the company’s launch plan excluding a potential 2026 New Glenn return. During its second-quarter earnings call, President Scott Wisniewski said AST had 10 launches booked with two providers other than Blue Origin, targeting a launch every month or two on average.
“We’ll be happy if they do it, but we’re not betting on that in our numbers,” Wisniewski said of Blue Origin’s return-to-flight efforts. He added that AST’s planned launch mix supported its initial 45-satellite target for early 2027.
CEO Abel Avellan said late last month that BlueBird 11 was fully deployed and all 13 satellites, representing about 20,000 square feet of phased arrays in orbit, were ‘performing as planned.’
Retail Sees Catalysts, Skeptics Question Timing
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS slipped to ‘neutral’ from ‘bullish’ levels a day ago amid ‘high’ message volume.
One user said that ASTS could revisit its all-time high early next year, identifying beta testing and “Blue Origin return to the launching pad” as two “major catalysts.” Another user said that resolving satellite-testing constraints, combined with Blue Origin becoming “a good launch provider” and potential launches from Japan, could help AST reach 48 satellites in 2027.
A separate user questioned when another provider would launch AST’s satellites, asking: “can we at least get a launch from someone other than SPCX?” Meanwhile, a bearish user said that an AST flight aboard Blue Origin was “not happening anytime soon,” claiming Blue Origin’s own satellite projects would take priority.
ASTS stock has declined 16% year-to-date.
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