New York, Jan 22, 2026, 17:58 ET — After-hours
Key points
- AST SpaceMobile shares jumped 12.4% at the close, then slipped a bit in after-hours trading
- Company aims to launch BlueBird 7 on Blue Origin’s New Glenn-3 in late February
- Investors are zeroing in on whether AST will hit its 2026 launch cadence targets
Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) soared Thursday, finishing the day 12.4% higher at $116.37 before slipping 0.2% in after-hours. The stock traded between $105.80 and $120.09, with roughly 19.3 million shares changing hands. (Investing)
All eyes return to one key question: can AST meet its deadlines? As it continues to build its satellite network, the timing of its launches has turned into the market’s yardstick.
This matters now as the company pushes to move beyond milestone headlines toward consistent deployment. Any delays or acceleration in launch timetables usually hit the shares quickly.
AST, headquartered in Midland, Texas, announced that BlueBird 7 is set for a late February launch aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn-3 rocket from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The company’s president, Wisniewski, described the mission as a step forward in “advanc[ing] our mission to bring space-based cellular broadband connectivity to everyday smartphones.” AST aims to conduct one orbital launch every one to two months throughout 2026, targeting a total of 45 to 60 satellites by the end of the year. (Business Wire)
Blue Origin also announced that New Glenn-3 won’t launch before late February and confirmed it will deliver AST’s next-gen Block 2 BlueBird satellite into low Earth orbit. “Our customers need a reliable, cost-effective launch vehicle, and New Glenn is purpose-built to serve their needs,” said Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp. (Blue Origin)
BlueBird 7 matches BlueBird 6 in design and sports a communications array covering nearly 2,400 square feet, engineered for peak data speeds up to 120 Mb/s, according to Mobile World Live, which referenced AST’s disclosures. The report also highlighted AST’s past use of rockets from SpaceX and the Indian Space Research Organisation. (Mobile World Live)
AST’s pitch focuses on “direct-to-device” service — linking ordinary phones straight to satellites without needing special handsets — for users beyond ground tower reach. The commercial potential is huge, but the timing couldn’t be tougher.
There’s a straightforward snag: rockets often don’t launch on time. AST cautioned that the schedule could shift depending on launch readiness, weather, and other uncontrollable factors.
New Glenn remains in the early stages of its flight record. According to Spaceflight Now, BlueBird 7 marks the rocket’s third launch so far, with Blue Origin yet to confirm if it will try to recover the booster on this mission. (Spaceflight Now)
Traders will be eyeing Friday’s session to see if the rally sticks and if new details surface about the late-February window. The next big event to watch is the New Glenn-3 launch. After that, the focus shifts to whether AST can maintain its pledge of launching one rocket every one to two months through 2026.
