AST SpaceMobile, Inc. ("AST SpaceMobile") (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today announced BlueBird 6, a U.S. licensed satellite, is scheduled to launch on December 15th from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India.BlueBird 6 is the first of AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation satellites. When launched, it will feature the largest commercial phased array in low Earth orbit at nearly 2,400 square feet. This represents a 3.5 times increase in size over BlueBirds 1-5 and supports 10 times the data capacity."Our next-generation satellites will soon enable ubiquitous cellular broadband coverage direct to everyday smartphones from space," said Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. "As an American company, we are proud to demonstrate U.S. leadership in space innovation while pioneering the next era of global connectivity."AST SpaceMobile is accelerating production with 40 satellites equivalent of microns on track to be completed by early 2026. The company expects five orbital launches by the end of Q1 2026, with launches occurring every one to two months on average to reach 45–60 satellites launched by the end of 2026 and support continuous coverage across the United States and select markets. This ramp-up is supported by nearly 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and operations facilities worldwide, including roughly 400,000 square feet in the United States, and a global workforce of nearly 1,800 people, the overwhelming majority of whom are based in the U.S.The exact timing of orbital launches is subject to change based on a number of factors, including launch readiness of the launch provider, weather conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Members of the public will be able to watch a live broadcast on the launch day on AST SpaceMobile's YouTube channel.
AST Q3 2025 Earnings Presentation [Nov 10]QuoteBlueBird 7 expected to ship to Cape Canaveral in November with orbital launch anticipated shortly thereafter.
BlueBird 7 expected to ship to Cape Canaveral in November with orbital launch anticipated shortly thereafter.
AST SpaceMobile modified the target orbit of FM-2 from 520km*53° to 460km*50°, giving the following reasons. However, I believe that if they are still using F9 to launch FM-2 satellites independently, the following reasons seem unreasonable.https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/ibfs?id=ibfs_application_summary&number=SAT-MOD-20251205-00370
F9 Payload (kg) Orbit (km) Recovery20,146460 x 460, 50° None19,726520 x 520, 53°None15,256460 x 460, 50°ASDS 14,907520 x 520, 53°ASDS12,807460 x 460, 50°LZ-212,497520 x 520, 53°LZ-2
FM-2 MOD AMD
SAT-AMD-20251211-00379 [Dec 11]QuoteFM-2 MOD AMDNarrative and schedule download requires FCC account.
On December 6, BlueBird 6 was encapsulated and timely handed off to the launcher for liftoff. The exact December launch date will be announced in the coming days. This launch marks the beginning of our launch campaign, with a launch every forty-five days on average during 2026.Stay tuned. Very excited for what is ahead.#ASTSpaceMobile #BlueBird6 #NextGenBlueBird
I would reiterate the "on average" modifier of that cadence. We know FM2 is ready, and the recent FCC notice did use the language "accelerated launch slot [...] as early as January 2026". FM3+ are of a new design (carbon composite), and I don't recall hearing much about the exact state of their manufacture. If they were ready, we'd hear more about them. They also would likely go up multiple-at-a-time due to their lighter weight.That is all to say, I think January 2026 is still very much in play for FM2, and that the 45-day average cadence is probably going to be weighted by a longer gap between FM2 and FM3+.Now, as a counterpoint, AST did also say 5 orbital launches by March 2026, but even the most fervent members of the "SpaceMob" aren't putting too much stock in that statement, and AST management is starting to build a rather dubious track record of overzealous projections.
In the seventh week of November
Quote from: Starship_SpaceX on 12/21/2025 02:08 pmIn the seventh week of November
https://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.htmlQuoteUPDATED DECEMBER 21, 2025...FALCON 9The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on January 3. Upcoming launches include more Starlink batches. A Falcon 9 will launch BlueBird 7 for AST SpaceMobile from pad 40 on January TBD.
UPDATED DECEMBER 21, 2025...FALCON 9The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on January 3. Upcoming launches include more Starlink batches. A Falcon 9 will launch BlueBird 7 for AST SpaceMobile from pad 40 on January TBD.
BlueBird 7 has arrived in Florida!Next step is to start integration with the launch vehicle 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀Following the successful launch of BlueBird 6, BlueBird 7’s arrival keeps us on track as we scale production and launch operations – bringing us closer to delivering full broadband connectivity directly to everyday smartphones, from space 🌎📶📱More to come. #ASTSpaceMobile #BlueBird7 #NextGenBlueBird
The tweet still does not specify whether the launch vehicle is an F9.
