AST SpaceMobile Satellite Placed in Lower Orbit

By Chris Stiles • Monday, April 20 16:14 • Permanent Link

AST SpaceMobile said its BlueBird 7 satellite was placed into a lower-than-planned orbit during the New Glenn 3 mission and will be de-orbited after separating from the launch vehicle and powering on.

The company said the satellite’s altitude is too low to support operations with its onboard thruster technology. AST SpaceMobile expects to recover the cost of the satellite under its insurance policy.

BlueBird 7 would have been the company’s eighth satellite deployed into low Earth orbit. The company said it is currently in production through BlueBird 32, with BlueBird 8 through BlueBird 10 expected to be ready to ship in about 30 days.

AST SpaceMobile said it still expects to average one orbital launch every one to two months during 2026, backed by agreements with multiple launch providers, and continues to target about 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026. The market has reacted to these announcements by moving the company's shares -8.54% to a price of $87.86. For more information, read the company's full 8-K submission here.

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