The Block 2 BlueBirds will launch in late February from Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a New Glenn launch vehicle
Launch date: AST SpaceMobile schedules launch of BlueBird 7 for late February, as it prepares to offer a beta service with AT&T in the first half of 2026.
Bigger and better: The new generation of BlueBird satellites are approximately 2,400 square feet in size, and delivers up to 120 Mbps speed.
A heavy deployment cadence: AST is on track to deploy 45-60 satellites by the end of this year, with launches planned every 1 to 2 months.
AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 is set to launch end of February. The company announced this week that the satellite will lift off from the Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a Bezos-backed Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch vehicle.
BlueBird 7 is part of AST’s second-generation BlueBird satellites. BlueBird 1 to 5 which made up the first generation were launched in September, 2024. Those satellites will now work in tandem with the newer models to deliver global coverage.
Next-gen BlueBird satellites are engineered to deliver direct-to-device connectivity, advancing AST’s commitment to “connect the unconnected.” The company positions its service for both commercial and government applications.
“This launch advances our mission to bring space-based cellular broadband connectivity to everyday smartphones as we progress towards launching commercial services in 2026,” President, Scott Wisniewski, said in a statement.
AST is working alongside AT&T’s FirstNet to bring to market a beta service in the first half of 2026. Although the date for general availability is not set yet, FirstNet’s president Agnew Scott told RCR Wireless News that the initial service will be available to a select group of commercial users and first responders.
AST aims to do more with less
At MWC Barcelona last year, CEO Abel Avellan said that 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit will allow AST to commercially launch the intial service in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. But that number will grow as it aims to deliver continuous service.
Through 2026, the service provider plans to carry out orbital launches every one to two months, with the goal to reach 45 to 60 satellites by the year end. Each New Glenn launcher is expected to accommodate 8 BlueBird satellites per launch.
A key feature of the BlueBird is its size. Avellan said, “These satellites are very large…You can actually see them when they fly.”
Indeed, the first block of BlueBirds featured massive 693-square-foot arrays, which AST described as “the largest commercial arrays ever deployed.” However, they don’t hold a candle to the newer satellites. BlueBird 6 and 7 stand at 2,400 square feet — approximately 3 times the size of the earlier version. “They have the capacity to process 10 GHz of spectrum and reuse it across 2400 Km of area,” he said.
However, compared to Starlink whose parent company SpaceX has over 9,000 active satellites in orbit — with regulatory approval for 7,500 more — this is a much lighter load. But AST’s plan was never to compete with Starlink’s fleet size. In fact, it plans to send far fewer satellites — and that’s the reason why its satellites are extra-large.
Even in small numbers, these satellites can make up for the physical distance with the devices, thanks to their oversized antennas. The satellites are designed to generate powerful beams and efficiently catch weak signals from smartphones down below.
AST promises data rates of up to 120 Mbps for voice, data, and streaming. However, given the tighter constellation size, this may be an issue as more users will be sharing each band leading to reduced throughput.
