AST SpaceMobile Block 2 Satellites Reach Orbit
Launch marks significant milestone in AST’s push to direct-to-cell service.
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2026 — AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-cell ambitions are back in business.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 17, 2026, carrying BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 into low-Earth orbit.
The deployment marked the first time AST SpaceMobile has launched three of its Block 2 satellites simultaneously, and it moves the company's direct-to-cell broadband service closer to commercial viability, according to a company press release.
“BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 represent the continued execution of a vision once considered impossible,” Founder, Chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile Abel Avellan said. “Our team has built a new class of space-based cellular broadband technology that connects seamlessly to everyday smartphones. This is a fundamental transformation of how the world connects.”
The BlueBird Block 2 satellites weigh about six tons each and have an antenna array measuring about 2,400 square feet, creating a much larger aperture and stronger signal connection than the BlueBird Block 1 satellites. The Block 2 satellites are designed to support peak download speeds of 200 Mbps and carry 10 Gigahertz of processing power.
