Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) climbed 2% overnight on Tuesday after CEO Abel Avellan announced that BlueBirds 8, 9, and 10 had fully deployed their massive communications arrays in low Earth orbit.
The overnight gain followed a 10% jump during Tuesday’s regular session, pushing ASTS to $63.34, even as the stock continues tracking its worst monthly performance since November.
Avellan confirmed the deployment on X, describing each of the three satellites as operating as one of the “world’s largest communications arrays” in low Earth orbit.
He said AST SpaceMobile had developed a lightweight composite, stackable satellite architecture capable of being manufactured at scale and launched in groups of three, five, six, or eight on a single mission.
The BlueBird platform combines space-based cellular broadband with peak data rates approaching 200 Mbps, space AI edge computing, and mission-critical government applications, Avellan said.
All of those capabilities sit on “one platform where the largest-ever size matters,” he added, underscoring the company’s focus on array size as a competitive advantage.
The next launch batch is already in position, with Avellan saying “BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 are already at the Cape preparing for their imminent launch,” while BlueBirds 14, 15, and 16 were “right behind them.”
Production at the company’s Texas operations has already advanced through satellite 42, according to the CEO, signaling a rapid manufacturing pace.
Next-generation satellites are expected to carry communications arrays spanning 2,400 square feet and deliver nearly twice the peak speeds of AST SpaceMobile’s first-generation Block 1 satellites, with download speeds of 98.9 Mbps recorded directly to standard, unmodified smartphones.
The deployment news follows AST SpaceMobile’s closing of $1 billion in 1.625% convertible senior notes due in 2034, with initial purchasers also exercising their option to acquire an additional $150 million of notes.
The company purchased a capped call hedge raising the effective conversion price to $149.20 per share, aimed at reducing potential dilution if the notes are eventually converted.
“This financing allows us to pursue an expanding universe of growth opportunities, continue vertical integration, and secure additional access to orbit for our space-based cellular network,” said President Scott Wisniewski.
AST SpaceMobile is also pursuing a significant manufacturing expansion in Midland, Texas, where the Midland Development Corporation approved an agreement offering up to $66 million in performance-based incentives over 30 years, subject to City Council approval.
The proposed facility would span at least 400,000 square feet adjacent to the company’s existing Spaceport Business Park operations, with local officials estimating the project could generate $116 million in property-tax revenue and lift the Midland metropolitan area’s GDP by 1.8%.
Retail sentiment on Stocktwits was rated “bullish” for ASTS, accompanied by a 50% jump in 24-hour message volume as traders reacted to the deployment news.
One Stocktwits user flagged a notable change in Avellan’s post, writing that “for the first time,” the CEO described the BlueBird platform as “the world’s largest and most advanced direct-to-device and radar phased-array,” calling the addition of the words “radar phased-array” noteworthy.
Another user speculated, “$ASTS The real deal likely still hasn’t been revealed yet. T-Mobile partnership? US Military? Both? The suspense is killing me! I’ll continue to accumulate and wait.”
ASTS stock has risen 12% over the past year, with investors closely watching upcoming launches and the company’s accelerating production timeline.
