Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) snapped a three-session losing streak on Tuesday after the company confirmed its next BlueBird satellite launch was “imminent.”
ASTS stock climbed 2% during Tuesday’s session, with shares adding another 0.4% in overnight trading late Tuesday.
The company announced on X that BlueBird 11 had arrived at Cape Canaveral, with two more satellites en route from Texas to Florida.
“BlueBird 11 at the Cape. BlueBirds 12 and 13 on the road from Midland to Florida,” AST SpaceMobile posted on X. “Next: orbital launch imminent.”
BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13 are next-generation satellites featuring communications arrays measuring approximately 2,400 square feet, nearly double the size of earlier models.
The new satellites are designed to deliver nearly twice the peak data speeds of the company’s first-generation Block 1 satellites, which recently achieved download speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to standard, unmodified smartphones.
BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 launched from Cape Canaveral on June 17 and are already operating in orbit, with the next launch previously targeted for the first half of August.
Separately, the Midland Development Corporation announced on LinkedIn that its board will meet on July 20 to consider an economic development agreement with AST SpaceMobile.
The proposed agreement would support expanded satellite manufacturing at the Midland Spaceport Business Park, tied to 1,800 jobs, $150 million in taxable investment, and performance-based incentives.
“Midland is building the future of aerospace,” the development corporation said, calling the project “a transformational opportunity for Midland’s economy.”
A larger manufacturing footprint could help AST SpaceMobile increase production and sustain a faster launch cadence as it works toward a target of 45 satellites by the end of the year.
Earlier this week, New Zealand also authorized a gateway station connected to AST SpaceMobile’s non-geostationary satellite network, allowing Two Degrees Networks to operate a space-to-Earth gateway using frequencies between 37.5 GHz and 39 GHz.
Gateway stations link satellites to terrestrial telecom networks, enabling voice and data traffic to flow between space and participating mobile operators around the world.
AST SpaceMobile currently holds agreements with nearly 60 mobile-network operators representing more than 3 billion subscribers globally.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS remained “bearish” over the past week, coinciding with a 34% decline in 24-hour message volumes among retail traders.
One Stocktwits user speculated the Midland expansion could be pivotal, writing: “The pieces are coming together!”
Another user offered a longer-term view, saying, “If you think like an OWNER (as opposed to holding shares to play with), then this is an easy hold through the volatility. Progress is being made and ASTS will be the dominant player.”
Despite near-term bearish retail sentiment, ASTS stock has surged 44% over the past year as the company continues advancing its direct-to-smartphone broadband constellation.
