AST SpaceMobile's Ambitious Satellite Plans Face Market Challenges
AST SpaceMobile has selected Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket to launch its next-generation BlueBird satellites, which aim to provide direct-to-cellphone broadband service globally. The New Glenn, capable of launching eight BlueBirds at a time, will help deploy up to 60 Block 2 satellites in 2025 and 2026. These new satellites will feature larger communication arrays, offering significantly increased bandwidth capacity. AST SpaceMobile's service targets key markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan, competing with SpaceX and Lynk Global.