AST SpaceMobile Announces Launch Date for BlueBird Satellites 11, 12, and 13
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (“AST SpaceMobile”) (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, announced that the launch of BlueBird 11, 12, and 13 satellites is currently scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 3:42 a.m. EDT with an additional opportunity available at 5:10 a.m.
The mission follows the successful June 2026 launch of BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10, and with BlueBird satellites 14, 15, and 16 already preparing for the next mission, and production advancing through satellite 42, the company continues to execute against its plan to deploy its constellation at scale.
BlueBird satellites 11, 12, and 13 will further expand AST SpaceMobile's space-based cellular broadband network, supporting voice, data, and video services directly to standard, unmodified smartphones while also enabling a growing range of commercial and government applications.
The satellites incorporate AST SpaceMobile's next-generation stackable architecture and advanced lightweight composite carbon structures, enabling efficient multi-satellite launches and accelerating constellation deployment.
“The upcoming launch of BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13 showcases our ability to rapidly and consistently build, launch, and deploy the largest phased arrays in low Earth orbit,” said Scott Wisniewski, President of AST SpaceMobile. “This orbital launch, combined with expanded manufacturing capacity and the recent successful launch and deployment of BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10, position us for beta services later this year with our space-based cellular broadband coverage.”
These next-generation BlueBird satellites are expected to deliver nearly double the peak download speeds achieved by the company's initial Block 1 BlueBird satellites, which recently demonstrated peak download speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to standard smartphones. The mission represents another step toward expanding AST SpaceMobile's global direct-to-device broadband constellation and bringing cellular broadband connectivity to billions of people worldwide who remain unconnected or underconnected.
Designed and manufactured through AST SpaceMobile's highly vertically integrated operating model, with approximately 95% of the technology developed in-house, BlueBird satellites feature the world's largest commercial communications arrays deployed in low Earth orbit. Supported by a workforce of more than 2,250 employees across over 500,000 square feet of global manufacturing and operations facilities, AST SpaceMobile continues to expand its ability to manufacture and deploy its next-generation satellites at scale.