The Block 2 BlueBirds will launch in late February from Complicated 36 at Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station on a New Glenn launch automobile
Launch date: AST SpaceMobile schedules launch of BlueBird 7 for late February, because it prepares to supply a beta service with AT&T within the first half of 2026.
Larger and higher: The brand new technology of BlueBird satellites are roughly 2,400 sq. ft in measurement, and delivers as much as 120 Mbps pace.
A heavy deployment cadence: AST is on monitor to deploy 45-60 satellites by the top of this yr, with launches deliberate each 1 to 2 months.
AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 is ready to launch finish of February. The corporate introduced this week that the satellite tv for pc will carry off from the Launch Complicated 36 at Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station aboard a Bezos-backed Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch automobile.
BlueBird 7 is a part of AST’s second-generation BlueBird satellites. BlueBird 1 to five which made up the primary technology had been launched in September, 2024. These satellites will now work in tandem with the newer fashions to ship world protection.
Subsequent-gen BlueBird satellites are engineered to ship direct-to-device connectivity, advancing AST’s dedication to “join the unconnected.” The corporate positions its service for each industrial and authorities purposes.
“This launch advances our mission to deliver space-based mobile broadband connectivity to on a regular basis smartphones as we progress in the direction of launching industrial providers in 2026,” President, Scott Wisniewski, mentioned in an announcement.
AST is working alongside AT&T’s FirstNet to deliver to market a beta service within the first half of 2026. Though the date for basic availability shouldn’t be set but, FirstNet’s president Agnew Scott instructed RCR Wi-fi Information that the preliminary service shall be out there to a choose group of business customers and first responders.
AST goals to do extra with much less
At MWC Barcelona final yr, CEO Abel Avellan mentioned that 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit will permit AST to commercially launch the intial service in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. However that quantity will develop because it goals to ship steady service.
By means of 2026, the service supplier plans to hold out orbital launches each one to 2 months, with the objective to succeed in 45 to 60 satellites by the yr finish. Every New Glenn launcher is anticipated to accommodate 8 BlueBird satellites per launch.
A key function of the BlueBird is its measurement. Avellan mentioned, “These satellites are very giant…You’ll be able to truly see them after they fly.”
Certainly, the primary block of BlueBirds featured large 693-square-foot arrays, which AST described as “the most important industrial arrays ever deployed.” Nevertheless, they don’t maintain a candle to the newer satellites. BlueBird 6 and seven stand at 2,400 sq. ft — roughly 3 instances the dimensions of the sooner model. “They’ve the capability to course of 10 GHz of spectrum and reuse it throughout 2400 Km of space,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless, in comparison with Starlink whose father or mother firm SpaceX has over 9,000 energetic satellites in orbit — with regulatory approval for 7,500 extra — this can be a a lot lighter load. However AST’s plan was by no means to compete with Starlink’s fleet measurement. In truth, it plans to ship far fewer satellites — and that’s the explanation why its satellites are extra-large.
Even in small numbers, these satellites could make up for the bodily distance with the gadgets, due to their outsized antennas. The satellites are designed to generate highly effective beams and effectively catch weak alerts from smartphones down under.
AST guarantees knowledge charges of as much as 120 Mbps for voice, knowledge, and streaming. Nevertheless, given the tighter constellation measurement, this can be a problem as extra customers shall be sharing every band resulting in lowered throughput.