Three More BlueBird Satellites Set for June 17 Falcon 9 Launch from Cape Canaveral
Next-Generation Spacecraft Will Nearly Double Peak Data Speeds of Initial Block 1 Satellites
AST SpaceMobile has scheduled a Falcon 9 rocket launch for June 17 to carry three next-generation BlueBird satellites, numbers 8, 9, and 10, to low Earth orbit, adding to a growing constellation designed to deliver cellular broadband directly to standard smartphones.
“Our upcoming launch marks another important milestone as we continue advancing the deployment of our space-based cellular broadband network.”
Scott Wisniewski, AST SpaceMobile
The launch window opens at 2:39 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with additional opportunities available until 4:15 a.m. A live broadcast will stream on AST SpaceMobile’s YouTube channel on launch day.
BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 are built on the company’s next-generation stackable satellite architecture, incorporating advanced composite carbon structures designed to support efficient multi-satellite launches and accelerated constellation deployment. The architecture is part of what AST SpaceMobile calls a multi-provider launch strategy, intended to give the company flexibility as it builds out global coverage. In practical terms, that means the company is not exclusively tied to any single rocket vendor, a hedge against launch delays and pricing pressure that has tripped up other constellation operators.
Each of the three satellites carries a commercial communications array measuring approximately 2,400 square feet, the same footprint as the in-orbit BlueBird 6. AST SpaceMobile describes these as the largest commercial communications arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit. The new satellites are expected to deliver nearly double the peak data speeds of the company’s initial Block 1 BlueBird satellites, which recently recorded peak download speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to standard, unmodified smartphones. No specialized terminal is required to receive service.
“Our upcoming launch marks another important milestone as we continue advancing the deployment of our space-based cellular broadband network,” said Scott Wisniewski, President of AST SpaceMobile. “Each BlueBird satellite launched expands our ability to support seamless space-based broadband mobile connectivity directly to everyday smartphones.”
Wisniewski said the next-generation satellites, combined with the company’s expanding manufacturing capabilities, “position AST SpaceMobile to continue scaling toward continuous global space-based cellular broadband coverage supported by a diversified launch strategy.”
AST SpaceMobile designed and built approximately 95% of its technology in-house. The company employs more than 2,250 people and operates more than 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and operations facilities globally. That level of vertical integration is intended to give the company direct control over production timelines and satellite performance, and to reduce dependence on third-party component suppliers whose own schedules can introduce delays.
The Midland, Texas-based company’s stated goal is to provide voice, data, and video broadband service via satellite directly to everyday devices, without specialized terminals or additional hardware, to users in areas where terrestrial wireless coverage is absent or limited. The company describes its target market as the billions of mobile subscribers worldwide who remain unconnected or under-connected, a number it puts at nearly 6 billion globally.
AST SpaceMobile currently holds service agreements with nearly 60 mobile network operators representing more than 3 billion combined subscribers. Strategic partners include AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Rakuten, Google, Bell, Telus, stc Group, and American Tower. The breadth of that partner network matters for regulatory clearance as much as for commercial reach: spectrum access approvals are typically tied to in-country operator relationships.
The company said it anticipates hosting an in-person investor launch event at Cape Canaveral for a future mission carrying BlueBird 11 through 13 satellites. For the June 17 launch, the public and investors are directed to the company’s YouTube live stream.
Exact launch timing remains subject to change based on launch provider readiness, weather conditions, and other factors, many of which AST SpaceMobile noted are outside its control.