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Watch SpaceX launch 3 giant BlueBird direct-to-cell satellites early on Aug. 5
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SpaceX launched three of AST SpaceMobile's massive BlueBird direct-to-cell satellites early Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 3:50 a.m. EDT (0650 GMT), just minutes after the opening of its 96-minute launch window. The mission carried the satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), further expanding a constellation designed to beam internet service directly to unmodified smartphones. Wednesday's launch brought the total number of BlueBird spacecraft launched to 13, marking a significant milestone for AST SpaceMobile.
The company began its constellation with Block 1 satellites, whose unfurled communications arrays cover 693 square feet (64.4 square meters). But it upped the ante dramatically with BlueBird 6, the first next-generation satellite, which reached orbit atop an Indian LVM3 rocket in December 2025. That class features antennas spanning a whopping 2,400 square feet (223 square meters). The three new satellitesâBlueBirds 11 through 13âare all next-generation vehicles.
Prior to Wednesday's launch, only four next-gen BlueBirds were in orbit: numbers 6, 8, 9, and 10. BlueBird 7 was lost shortly after liftoff in April when its Blue Origin New Glenn rocket suffered an anomaly. The new trio therefore nearly doubles the next-gen population in space. According to AST SpaceMobile, these advanced satellites are expected to deliver nearly double the peak download speeds achieved by Block 1, which recently demonstrated 98.9 Mbps directly to standard smartphones.
Company president Scott Wisniewski said in a July 28 statement that this launch, combined with expanded manufacturing capacity and the successful deployment of BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10, positions the firm for beta services later this year. He highlighted the space-based cellular broadband coverage as a key goal. The new satellites are a critical step toward commercial operations.
The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, touching down on the drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the 30th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to SpaceX. The rocket had previously flown the BlueBird 8-10 mission in June, demonstrating reuse reliability. Meanwhile, the upper stage deployed the three satellites over an 11-minute span beginning 53.5 minutes after launch.
Direct-to-cell technology is a rapidly growing trend, with SpaceX, T-Mobile, and others pursuing similar connectivity from orbit. AST SpaceMobile aims to differentiate itself by working with standard smartphones without any hardware modifications. Industry analysts see the successful deployment of next-gen satellites as a key competitive advantage. The company faces technical and regulatory challenges but remains on track for beta tests later this year.
Looking ahead, AST SpaceMobile plans to continue launching more satellites to complete its constellation. The company's expansion in manufacturing capacity suggests a faster cadence of missions. Success in these beta trials could pave the way for a global satellite-to-phone service that bridges coverage gaps in remote areas. For now, space watchers will eagerly await performance data from the new BlueBird vehicles.
