ASTS Stock Hits 1-Month High: CEO Reaffirms 45-Satellite Goal As BlueBird Convoy Races To Launch Site

• CEO Abel Avellan reiterated that AST remains “on target” to deploy 45 satellites this year despite recent launch setbacks.
• Avellan said AST expects launches “approximately every month” and confirmed the company works with multiple launch providers, including SpaceX.
• The CEO also pushed AST’s broadband edge, claiming that the company can deliver “hundreds of megabits per second” directly to smartphones.

Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) hit a one-month high on Monday after the space firm unveiled a BlueBird convoy heading toward launch preparations in Florida, easing some investor concerns around its aggressive satellite rollout timeline.

ASTS stock jumped 4% on Monday to end at $86.83. 

ASTS Begins BlueBird Rollout

In a post on X, AST SpaceMobile said the “BlueBird convoy is officially underway” and added: “Two BlueBirds are already making their way to Cape Canaveral, with the third close behind. Next stop: the launch pad.”

The company also shared behind-the-scenes footage showing the final assembly, packaging and transportation process for its BlueBird Block 2 satellites at its Texas manufacturing facility. The footage showed workers wrapping satellites, loading them into shipping containers, securing transport trailers and preparing the convoy for its journey to Florida. 

ASTS CEO Reaffirms 45-Satellite Goal

The convoy update came shortly after CEO Abel Avellan reiterated AST SpaceMobile’s deployment roadmap during a CNBC interview on Monday. When asked whether the company still expects to deploy 45 satellites this year following recent launch setbacks, Avellan said, “It is, and we're on target.”

“Today we're shipping in a batch of satellites in the launch pad,” Avellan added, while noting that AST expects launches “approximately every month.” He also said the company works with multiple launch providers, including SpaceX.

The comments appeared to reassure some investors after AST SpaceMobile’s first-quarter earnings raised fresh doubts about whether the company could realistically execute an aggressive satellite deployment schedule.

Avellan also reinforced AST’s position in the direct-to-device satellite broadband race as competition intensifies from Starlink and other space connectivity players. “We are the only broadband system that is available in terms of technology to basically do hundreds of megabits per second directly to any device,” Avellan said.

The CEO pointed to AST’s previous demonstrations involving satellite voice calls, 5G connectivity and broadband transmissions directly to smartphones. He said the company recently demonstrated “close to 100 megabits per second from space directly to your phone” and also referenced speeds exceeding 2,000 Mbps to standard devices. Avellan also said that the company and its partners now control access to nearly 100 MHz of spectrum, while AST holds more than 3,800 patents.

Rollout Risks Still Hang Over AST

Despite Monday’s rally, AST SpaceMobile continues to face scrutiny over whether it can scale its launches quickly enough to support its long-term broadband ambitions.

Satellite communications analyst Tim Farrar said that AST’s deployment assumptions likely require a very high launch lineup involving both Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket and multiple Falcon 9 launches to hit the company’s year-end target. 

Pressure on the timeline intensified after AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird-7 satellite was lost during Blue Origin’s New Glenn Mission-3 launch last month after an upper-stage anomaly. The satellite separated from the rocket but failed to reach orbit. However, AST President Scott Wisniewski said that the company expects “a handful” of launches from both Blue Origin and SpaceX, or equivalent providers, and believes AST has sufficient contracted launch capacity to hit its deployment goals.

ASTS Backs Telecom Satellite JV

The latest developments also come days after AST SpaceMobile backed a proposed satellite connectivity joint venture involving AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to expand direct-to-device wireless coverage across the U.S. AST said that the initiative could help accelerate satellite integration into mainstream wireless networks and reduce coverage dead zones nationwide.

“We plan to be a key enabler of this transformation as we continue to grow our global network in low Earth orbit and expand available spectrum to our network," Avellan said in a statement last week. 

How Do Retail Traders Feel About ASTS?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS was ‘bullish’ amid ‘normal’ message volume.

One user said, “$ASTS I think they got the real tech. Starlink is nothing compared to this”

Another user said, “AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are now partners, and will be  collaborating to cover all US dead zones as a team utilizing ASTS. Starlink is great, but can't perform to the level of ASTS, once the full array of sats is orbiting.”

ASTS stock has surged 226% over the past year. 

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Read Next: Elon Musk’s OpenAI Lawsuit Gets Tossed In Under 2 Hours — He Calls It a ‘Dangerous Precedent’