New York, May 31, 2026, 12:03 EDT
AST SpaceMobile shares face new pressure going into Monday after a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion during an engine firing test. The incident adds to questions about the satellite-phone company’s 2026 rollout timeline.
The stock ended Friday at $113.41, falling 14.79%, after it had hit a new high of $133.86 on Thursday. U.S. markets are closed Sunday. The Nasdaq opens again June 1, which will be the next move for the shares.
Timing is key here, as AST isn’t trading like an established telecom name but has been seen as more of a deployment play. The company wants to launch a direct-to-device network, using satellites to reach regular mobile phones, no extra handset needed. Investors so far have been counting on a quick rollout to commercial coverage.
ASTS climbed 13.1% Tuesday, tacked on another 8.3% Wednesday and added 2.7% Thursday in the short week with NYSE closed Memorial Day, May 25. The stock gave up much of the gains Friday but still ended up about 7.1% for the week.
Stocks mostly held up. The S&P 500 finished Friday up 0.2%, marking its ninth weekly win in a row. The Nasdaq Composite also gained 0.2%, AP reported. AST’s drop set it apart, pointing to issues with the company or sector.
New Glenn rocket explodes in test, Blue Origin says; launch delayed Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket blew up in a test before its planned satellite launch next week, according to AP. No injuries were reported. Jeff Bezos called it a “very rough day” and said the company will rebuild and fly again. AP News
The rocket didn’t have AST satellites onboard. The issue is capacity. New Glenn is one of the only rockets sized for big communications satellites. AST already faced a New Glenn problem back in April, when BlueBird 7 missed its target orbit and was set for de-orbit after the upper stage came up short, Reuters said.
AST has worked to limit that risk by tapping multiple launch firms. Earlier this month the company said BlueBird 8, 9 and 10 are still planned for a mid-June flight with SpaceX’s Falcon 9. AST said BlueBird 11 through 33 remain in advanced production and assembly.
Launch flexibility is back in focus Monday. An AST spokesperson told Mobile World Live that none of the company’s missions in the next few months are lined up with Blue Origin, adding their satellites are “launcher-agnostic” and can work with several different rockets. Mobile World Live
Analyst reaction was more cautious. Chris Quilty, CEO at Quilty Space, called the New Glenn failure a “tough blow” for AST, pointing to the company’s limited launch options. Tim Farrar at TMF Associates said the hit was “huge” if restoring the launch pad drags on. Mobile World Live
Deutsche Bank’s Bryan Kraft lowered AST to Hold from Buy and dropped his price target to $106, MarketBeat said. Barchart reported that Kraft, in his note, had been expecting 26 AST satellites to launch on New Glenn this year but now sees the timeline getting pushed out about six months.
Competition is a big part of this story. Amazon’s Leo network was supposed to ride on New Glenn, but SpaceX still controls most of the low-Earth broadband market with Starlink. Rocket Lab and other space stocks dropped on Friday as traders shaved off value over worries about launch and execution risk.
There’s another side. AST said May 11 it had around $3.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as of March 31. It kept its forecast for full-year revenue between $150 million and $200 million. The company is aiming for about 45 BlueBird satellites up in 2026. CEO Abel Avellan said AST is “accelerating manufacturing” and making regulatory headway. Business Wire
Risks are plain here. If Blue Origin’s pad damage turns out worse than thought, or if AST can’t move enough satellites to SpaceX or other rockets, the 2026 deadline could slip and revenue gets pushed back. If the Falcon 9 goes up mid-June and Blue Origin nails down a believable timeline for repairs, Friday’s selloff could look too sharp. If either misses, though, with the shares priced high, there’s not much cushion for yet another setback.
