Overview
- The company set a five‑launch window running from Dec. 15, 2025 through March 2026, starting with BlueBird‑6 from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Center.
- BlueBird‑6 carries a nearly 2,400‑square‑foot phased array that AST says is 3.5 times larger than earlier models and supports roughly 10 times more data capacity.
- Production is ramping with additional manufacturing sites in Texas and a new facility in Florida to boost build rates and strengthen the U.S. supply chain.
- AST is preparing BlueBird‑7 for a late‑2025 Cape Canaveral launch and is targeting 45–60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026.
- Shares traded up about 18.6% to $72.87 on Thursday as investors reacted to the launch timetable and capacity details, following disclosures of more than $1 billion in contracted commitments with carriers including Verizon and stc.