BlueBird 7 Ends Up in Too-Low Orbit; Insurance to Cover Loss as AST SpaceMobile Accelerates Satellite Rollout
AST SpaceMobile reports BlueBird 7 launched on the New Glenn but was placed into a lower-than-planned orbit, rendering its on-board thrusters unusable and requiring de-orbit. The company says the satellite’s cost will be recovered under its insurance. BlueBird 7 would have been its eighth LEO satellite; production continues with BlueBird 32 and BlueBird 8–10 expected to ship in about 30 days. AST SpaceMobile maintains plans for roughly monthly orbital launches in 2026 aiming for about 45 satellites by year-end as it builds a space-based cellular broadband network accessible by standard smartphones.