AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) is racing to build a commercial satellite network capable of competing with SpaceX and its dominant Starlink service.
SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) already operates a fully functioning satellite network, making AST SpaceMobile’s path to competition a genuinely difficult undertaking.
A series of launch disruptions forced AST SpaceMobile to push its 45-satellite deployment target from late 2026 into early 2027, raising investor concerns about funding.
The company originally partnered with Blue Origin to launch 45 BlueBird satellites aboard the heavy-lift New Glenn rocket to establish initial continuous commercial coverage.
A late-June 2026 ground test anomaly resulting in an upper-stage explosion sidelined the New Glenn vehicle, severely limiting near-term launch availability for AST SpaceMobile.
The setback follows the atmospheric reentry and loss of the BlueBird 7 satellite earlier this year, which failed to reach its targeted orbit following an off-nominal upper-stage engine burn.
Back in late 2025, AST SpaceMobile claimed it could have 45 to 60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026, a target that has since been significantly scaled back.
After losing BlueBird 7 in April, the company reduced its target to 45 satellites before pushing that timeline to early 2027 during its second-quarter report in July.
Despite the delays, AST SpaceMobile’s technology is already compatible with existing cellphones, and the company holds agreements with major cellphone service providers to offer satellite connectivity to their customers.
It is already working with more than 60 carriers to reach over 3 billion wireless subscribers, giving the company a built-in customer base once robust service becomes available.
The company also carries a $1.3 billion backlog and maintains long-term plans to expand its satellite constellation to at least 248 satellites in total.
With $3.7 billion in cash on hand, AST SpaceMobile has an estimated runway of roughly a year and a half under aggressive spending assumptions.
The company used approximately $1.6 billion in cash for operating and investing activities in 2025, which would stretch the current reserves to just over two years under a more conservative view.
Either way, analysts and management appear confident that available cash is sufficient to get the 45-satellite constellation into orbit before funds run short.
AST SpaceMobile is already actively bolstering its cash balances to ensure it has sufficient funds to execute on its satellite launch schedule.
