New York, January 23, 2026, 11:54 ET — During regular trading hours
- AST SpaceMobile shares slipped Friday following a steep jump the previous day
- Company scheduled the BlueBird 7 satellite launch for late February aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn-3
- Attention now turns to launch readiness and how quickly satellites will be deployed through 2026
AST SpaceMobile shares slipped 0.8% to $115.49 in late morning trading Friday, trimming some gains from the previous day’s rally as investors digested a new launch schedule for the company’s upcoming satellite.
The key issue for AST is timing. The company aims to launch a cellular broadband network in low Earth orbit compatible with standard smartphones. Investors often adjust the stock price sharply based on any sign that the rollout is accelerating or falling behind.
Thursday’s update set a clear timeline for the next move. It linked AST’s upcoming schedule directly to Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, a launch vehicle investors remain cautious about after years spent refining its reliability.
AST confirmed BlueBird 7 is set for late February aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn-3, launching from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36. The firm aims to maintain a pace of one orbital launch every one to two months throughout 2026 and expects to deploy between 45 and 60 satellites by the end of the year.
“This launch pushes forward our goal to deliver space-based cellular broadband directly to regular smartphones,” AST president Scott Wisniewski said in a statement. Business Wire
Blue Origin announced that New Glenn-3 will launch AST’s next-gen Block 2 BlueBird satellite to low Earth orbit, aiming for no earlier than late February. CEO Dave Limp expressed pride in having AST SpaceMobile as a customer on NG-3.
The stock has been volatile this week. After sliding 7.95% on Wednesday, shares bounced back sharply, closing up 12.43% on Thursday, according to price history data.
AST is pushing a “direct-to-device” service that links phones straight to satellites without needing special hardware. This niche in the space sector is gaining traction as launch capabilities ramp up and carriers hunt for coverage gaps.
Still, the immediate risk is clear: delays. AST noted that the launch schedule could shift depending on launcher readiness and weather conditions.
Traders are eyeing whether New Glenn-3 hits its late-February launch window and what that signals about AST’s overall 2026 schedule. According to TechCrunch, Blue Origin is aiming for late February on this mission.
