TLDR
- ASTS stock surged nearly 6.8% in pre-market after a June 17 launch date was confirmed for BlueBird satellites 8, 9, and 10
- The three Block 2 satellites launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral at 2:39 a.m. EDT
- New satellites are expected to deliver nearly double the peak data speeds of Block 1 units, which hit 98.9 Mbps
- Barclays maintained its Underweight rating and cut its price target to $60 from $65
- AST SpaceMobile reaffirmed full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $150M–$200M and targets ~45 satellites in orbit by year-end
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock jumped nearly 6.8% in pre-market trading on June 9 after the company confirmed a firm launch date for its next three BlueBird satellites.
The company announced that BlueBird 8, 9, and 10 will lift off on June 17, 2026, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch window opens at 2:39 a.m. EDT, with backup windows available through 4:15 a.m.
The news gave investors something concrete to hold onto. ASTS had been dealing with uncertainty since losing BlueBird 7 in April, and a confirmed date for the next three satellites helps signal the constellation build-out is back on track.
The three Block 2 satellites are next-generation units. They are expected to deliver nearly twice the peak data speeds of the Block 1 BlueBird spacecraft, which recently recorded 98.9 Mbps download speeds directly to standard smartphones — no special hardware required.
Each of the new satellites features commercial communications arrays spanning approximately 2,400 square feet. They use AST SpaceMobile’s stackable design with advanced carbon-composite structures, aimed at improving launch efficiency.
Around 95% of the underlying technology was designed in-house. The company employs more than 2,250 people across over 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and operational facilities worldwide.
Barclays Cuts Price Target
Not everyone is buying the rally. Barclays maintained its Underweight rating on ASTS and cut its price target to $60 from $65, citing valuation concerns and execution risk. That’s a bearish signal from one of the Street’s more cautious voices on this name.
On top of that, the company’s Chief Technology Officer sold approximately $3.85 million worth of stock on June 5 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Routine? Yes. But investors noticed, given the stock’s recent volatility.
The broader market wasn’t doing much heavy lifting either. The Nasdaq was up 0.9% and the S&P 500 gained 0.3%, while the Dow dipped 0.2%. The ASTS move was clearly company-specific.
Revenue Guidance Held Firm
AST SpaceMobile reaffirmed its full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $150 million to $200 million alongside the launch announcement. The company is also targeting approximately 45 satellites in orbit by the end of the year.
ASTS has agreements with nearly 60 mobile network operators globally, covering a combined subscriber base of more than 3 billion users. Strategic partners include AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Google, Rakuten, Bell, Telus, stc Group, and American Tower.
The company did flag that launch schedules remain subject to change due to weather, launch provider readiness, and other factors outside its control.
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