ASTS Stock Slips Premarket: Bearish Bets Surge As BlueBird Launch Plans Drift Off Schedule Again

• BlueBird 7 is now scheduled to launch Sunday aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn-3 mission after earlier mid-April and April 10 targets shifted.
• The next-gen Block 2 satellite will deliver direct 4G/5G connectivity from space to standard smartphones.
• Investor focus on the sector is also rising amid a looming SpaceX IPO and intensifying competition from Amazon after its Globalstar buy.

Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) slipped nearly 0.5% in premarket trading on Friday after the company confirmed a new launch window for its next-gen BlueBird 7 satellite, extending a series of timeline changes that have pushed short interest in the stock to its highest level since August 2025.

ASTS stock has declined 4% so far this week and is set to snap two straight weeks of gains. 

BlueBird 7 Delay Drives Short Bets Higher

AST SpaceMobile said its BlueBird 7 satellite is now scheduled to launch on Sunday within a 6.45 am to 8.45 pm ET window aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn-3 mission from Cape Canaveral. The updated timing marks the latest adjustment, following earlier updates that pointed to a mid-April liftoff and a prior target of no earlier than April 10. 

BlueBird 7 is part of the company’s next-gen Block 2 satellite lineup to deliver direct cellular broadband connectivity from space to smartphones. The spacecraft carries a phased-array communications antenna spanning 2,400 square feet and is expected to support full 4G and 5G voice, video, and data services while delivering up to 10x the bandwidth capacity of earlier BlueBird satellites. 

The Block 2 platform will also support coverage across 5,600 coverage cells nationwide as AST SpaceMobile moves toward continuous satellite-to-phone broadband coverage across the U.S.

Meanwhile, short interest in ASTS stock has surged to 15.8% of its free float, according to Koyfin data, marking its highest level in about eight months. The surge comes amid repeated changes to the satellite’s expected liftoff schedule. 

ASTS Faces Rising Competition As Satellite Sector Heats Up

Investor sentiment around the rollout timeline has also been influenced by rising competition in the satellite communications space and rising investor attention on the sector ahead of a potential public debut of SpaceX, which could become one of the largest IPOs ever, valued at over $1 trillion. The Elon Musk-led space firm reportedly generated over $18.5 billion in revenue last year.

Federal Communications Commission chief Brendan Carr recently highlighted the emergence of a “three-player” race involving AST SpaceMobile, SpaceX and Amazon following Amazon’s acquisition of Globalstar assets into its expanding low-Earth-orbit satellite strategy. 

AST SpaceMobile has agreements with over 50 mobile network operators globally, including partnerships with AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Rakuten, Google and American Tower.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About ASTS?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for ASTS was ‘extremely bullish’ amid a 142% rise in 24-hour message volumes.

One user said, “If 75% of shorts cover because the April 19 launch is a success, the combined force of short covering plus new retail and institutional buying could easily push the price toward the upper $150+ range.”

Another user said, “might dip after launch as usual but will go to 150 in the weeks following. “

ASTS stock has surged over 300% over the past year.

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