On April 20, 2026, AST SpaceMobile confirmed that its BlueBird 7 satellite failed to achieve its designated low Earth orbit following a launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The satellite, which represents the first of the company’s larger Block 2 series, was the primary payload on Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy-lift launch vehicle. This mission was intended to be a cornerstone of AST SpaceMobile’s commercial expansion, providing direct-to-cell connectivity to standard mobile devices.
The mission launched at 10:15 AM ET. While the first stage of the New Glenn rocket performed as expected and successfully landed on the recovery platform, telemetry data indicated a technical malfunction during the second-stage burn. This anomaly resulted in the BlueBird 7 satellite being deployed into an unstable elliptical orbit with a perigee significantly below the required 500-kilometer circular altitude. AST SpaceMobile engineers confirmed that the satellite is currently unable to maintain its position for operational use and is expected to undergo an uncontrolled atmospheric reentry within the coming weeks.
BlueBird 7 is a critical component of AST SpaceMobile’s planned space-based cellular broadband network. The Block 2 satellites feature a phased-array antenna system measuring approximately 2,400 square feet, designed to provide direct-to-device 5G connectivity. These units are significantly more powerful than the five BlueBird Block 1 satellites currently in orbit, offering ten times the processing bandwidth. The failure of this mission directly impacts the company’s objective of providing continuous nationwide coverage in the United States through its partnerships with major carriers.
In an official statement released shortly after the anomaly, AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan confirmed the loss of the satellite. While the launch vehicle successfully cleared the pad, the final orbital insertion did not meet the mission requirements for BlueBird 7, Avellan stated. Our teams are now working closely with Blue Origin to conduct a comprehensive review of the flight data to identify the root cause of the second-stage performance issue. Blue Origin also issued a statement acknowledging the failure, noting that this was the first significant orbital insertion error for the New Glenn program.
The loss of the satellite has immediate implications for AST SpaceMobile’s deployment schedule. The company had previously secured launch contracts for additional Block 2 satellites throughout 2026 and 2027. While AST SpaceMobile confirmed that the BlueBird 7 mission was covered by a launch insurance policy, the specific financial recovery amount and the timeline for a replacement satellite have not been finalized. Following the confirmation of the mission failure, trading of AST SpaceMobile shares was briefly halted on the Nasdaq as the company provided the technical update to the public.