Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) fell 2% on Wednesday after surging 11% the prior session, as investors weighed a successful satellite launch against broader market movements.
The company confirmed the successful deployment of BlueBird satellites 11, 12, and 13 early Wednesday morning, marking another step forward in its space-based cellular broadband ambitions.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 3:42 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, delivering the three satellites into orbit without incident.
The launch builds on a similar deployment completed in June, steadily expanding the company’s growing constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites designed to beam cellular broadband directly to smartphones.
Production is continuing at the company’s Texas facility through satellite 42, and the next three satellites in the sequence are already preparing for flight.
CEO Abel Avellan said the launch shows steady progress toward a space-based cellular network built for scale and that beta services are planned for later this year.
The BlueBird satellite network sits at the center of AST SpaceMobile’s strategy to deliver cellular broadband directly to everyday smartphones without specialized hardware or additional devices.
The company works with nearly 60 mobile carriers serving more than 3 billion customers, including major partners such as AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and Rakuten, targeting continuous coverage across key markets for both commercial and government users.
SpaceX released its first public earnings after the close on Tuesday, revealing strong revenue growth that was overshadowed by heavy spending, sending SpaceX shares lower in after-hours trading.
Comments by SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell about building a full mobile service that could compete with traditional carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile lifted sentiment for ASTS among traders who see the company as an independent satellite alternative.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around ASTS jumped from “bearish” to “extremely bullish” over the past week, with message volume climbing from “low” to “high” levels following the SpaceX earnings release.
One Stocktwits user expressed surprise that anyone would hold a pessimistic take on ASTS, given that it is backed by Google, via its parent company Alphabet, and has several operational achievements and deals.
Another user said the company is unlikely to hit around 40 satellites in space by the end of 2026, suggesting the next earnings report could bring a revised satellite target, though they do not expect it to affect the stock price in a major way.
ASTS stock has lost 5.5% year-to-date despite the wave of recent launch activity and growing carrier partnerships backing the network’s expansion.
