AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) shares gained 5% after the company confirmed a June 17, 2026 launch date for its BlueBird 8, BlueBird 9 and BlueBird 10 satellites.
The mission is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Launch is currently targeted for 2:39 a.m. EDT, with additional launch windows available through 4:15 a.m.
The upcoming deployment will place the company’s next-generation satellites into orbit as part of its plan to build a space-based cellular broadband network capable of delivering voice, data and video services directly to standard smartphones. The new BlueBird satellites incorporate AST SpaceMobile’s stackable satellite design, which uses advanced carbon-composite structures intended to improve launch efficiency and accelerate constellation growth.
According to the company, the latest generation of BlueBird satellites is expected to provide nearly twice the peak data speeds achieved by its first Block 1 BlueBird spacecraft. The earlier satellites recently recorded peak download speeds of 98.9 Mbps when connecting directly to conventional smartphones. BlueBirds 8, 9 and 10 each feature commercial communications arrays spanning approximately 2,400 square feet.
The satellites have been developed and produced through AST SpaceMobile’s vertically integrated manufacturing strategy. The company said approximately 95% of the underlying technology has been designed and engineered internally by its workforce of more than 2,250 employees operating across over 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and operational facilities worldwide.
AST SpaceMobile has established agreements with nearly 60 mobile network operators globally, representing a combined subscriber base of more than 3 billion users. Its strategic partners include AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Rakuten, Google, Bell, Telus, stc Group and American Tower.
The company noted that launch schedules remain subject to change due to factors such as launch provider readiness, weather conditions and other circumstances outside its control.