This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) said it successfully placed its BlueBird 6 satellite into orbit late Monday, an event the company framed as a key step toward scaling its space-based cellular broadband ambitions. The mission lifted off at 10:25 p.m. EST on December 23 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, deploying what the company described as the largest commercial communications array ever assembled in low Earth orbit. Spanning nearly 2,400 square feet, BlueBird 6 is roughly three times larger than the earlier BlueBird 15 satellites and is designed to support high-speed 4G and 5G connectivity directly to standard, unmodified smartphones.
Management characterized the launch as a transition from development toward broader execution, with BlueBird 6 engineered for both commercial and government applications. The satellite is intended to leverage its scale, power, and patented technology to support direct-to-device cellular services without handset modifications. AST SpaceMobile said the successful deployment keeps it on track to pursue its next phase of execution, which could include launching between 45 and 60 satellites by the end of 2026, with missions planned on average every one or two months.
The company said BlueBird 6 was assembled, integrated, and tested at its manufacturing facilities in Midland, Texas, part of a global footprint totaling nearly 500,000 square feet. AST SpaceMobile reported a workforce of more than 1,800 employees and a technology platform supported by over 3,800 patents and patent-pending claims. The company also said it has agreements with more than 50 mobile network operators worldwide, representing nearly 3 billion subscribers, alongside strategic partnerships with AT&T (NYSE:T), Verizon (NYSE:VZ), Vodafone, Rakuten, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), American Tower (NYSE:AMT), Bell, and stc Group.