Overview
- BlueBird‑6 is slated to lift off on December 15 from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre carrying a nearly 2,400‑square‑foot phased array that AST says delivers about 10× the data capacity of earlier satellites.
- The company has scheduled five launches through March 2026 to accelerate direct‑to‑device service, with BlueBird‑7 in preparation for a Cape Canaveral mission.
- AST announced manufacturing expansions in Texas and Florida to increase capacity and reinforce its U.S. supply chain, with five facilities now operating in Texas including Midland.
- Production is being accelerated toward what the company describes as “40 satellites equivalent of microns” of components by early next year to support the ramp.
- Commercial traction includes multi‑year agreements with Verizon and stc Group plus partnerships with AT&T and Vodafone, bringing contracted revenue commitments above $1 billion as investor interest pushed shares up 8% Tuesday and as much as 18.6% Thursday.