On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, satellite-to-phone pioneer AST SpaceMobile Inc. announced in a regulatory filing that it has rescheduled its commercial Direct-to-Device (D2D) service launch to early 2027. The revision shifts the Texas-based operator’s target away from its previous late-2026 commercial timeline.
Concurrently, the company announced plans to raise up to $1 billion through a convertible senior notes offering to fund ongoing operations, secure launch capacity, and evaluate potential strategic acquisitions.
BlueBird Block 2 Payload Specifications
Despite schedule changes, the company is continuing to manufacture and deploy its “Block 2” BlueBird satellite configuration designed to deliver continuous space-based cellular broadband:
- Aperture Area: Features an ultra-large commercial phased-array antenna measuring approximately 2,400 square feet (223 square meters) to capture weak terrestrial cellular signals.
- Onboard Processor: Integrates the proprietary AST5000 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) architecture.
- Peak Data Throughput: Configured to deliver data speeds of up to 120 Mbps directly to standard, unmodified 4G and 5G smartphones.
- Constellation Footprint: Operating under a comprehensive FCC license that authorizes up to 248 non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites utilizing terrestrial partner bands.
Mitigating Launch Infrastructure Failures
The operational schedule adjustment follows significant launch vehicle disruptions encountered by AST SpaceMobile’s commercial providers. The company originally partnered with Blue Origin to launch 45 BlueBird satellites aboard the heavy-lift New Glenn rocket to establish initial continuous commercial coverage. However, a late-June 2026 ground test anomaly resulting in an upper-stage explosion sidelined the New Glenn vehicle, limiting near-term launch availability.
The setback follows the atmospheric reentry and loss of the BlueBird 7 satellite earlier this year, which failed to reach its targeted orbit following an off-nominal upper-stage engine burn. To maintain momentum, AST SpaceMobile completed a strategic pivot to SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets to deliver its intermediate satellite batches.
Next Launch and Orbital Milestones
To rebuild its active constellation footprint, the company’s next three satellites (BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13) have completed fabrication and are scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during the first half of August 2026. This deployment will expand AST SpaceMobile’s total in-orbit fleet to 13 space vehicles.
