AST SpaceMobile Sets Late-February Launch for BlueBird 7’s D2D Array

AST SpaceMobile has announced that its BlueBird 7 satellite is scheduled for late February launch aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn on the NG-3 mission from Cape Canaveral.

BlueBird 7 is identical to the recently launched BlueBird 6 and carries the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit, spanning nearly 2,400 square feet. The satellite is designed to deliver up to 120 Mbps peak data rates directly to standard, unmodified smartphones, supporting voice, data and streaming services.

The mission is notable as the first operational launch using New Glenn, whose seven-meter fairing allows AST SpaceMobile to deploy up to eight next-generation BlueBird satellites per flight, significantly accelerating constellation build-out. AST plans a multi-launcher campaign in 2026, targeting one launch every one to two months and 45–60 satellites in orbit by year-end.

The BlueBird 7 launch reinforces AST SpaceMobile’s push toward commercial D2D cellular broadband in 2026, complementing recent operator trials and beta plans announced by partners such as AT&T. The company continues to position its large-aperture satellite design as a differentiator, enabling wider coverage and higher performance with fewer satellites than competing D2D approaches.

SOURCE: https://feeds.issuerdirect.com/news-release.html?newsid=4884044184243646&symbol=ASTS