Signal SpaceX Launches Three AST SpaceMobile Block 2 BlueBird Satellites From Cape Canaveral

Summary

AST SpaceMobile's next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellites, numbered 11, 12, and 13, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral at 3:49 a.m. EDT on August 5, 2026, Spaceflight Now reported. The Block 2 BlueBirds feature communications arrays as large as 2,400 square feet, making them the largest satellites ever commercially deployed in low Earth orbit once operational. The satellites are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the Block 1 BlueBirds, a capability required to achieve 24/7 continuous direct-to-cell broadband coverage across the United States. Beams are designed to support up to 40 MHz of capacity, enabling peak data transmission speeds of up to 120 Mbps for voice, data, and video applications. This launch follows an earlier set of three Block 2 satellites launched June 16, 2026, accelerating the buildout of AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird constellation.