Is AST SpaceMobile Ready for Scalable Growth With BlueBird 6?

AST SpaceMobile, Inc.’s (ASTS) latest and most advanced communications satellite, BlueBird 6, is scheduled for launch by ISRO on the LVM3 rocket on Dec. 21, 2025. It was earlier scheduled to launch on Dec.15, but the launch was delayed due to an undisclosed reason. It is the first of its next-generation satellites designed to deliver high-speed mobile Internet directly to regular smartphones from space, without any special equipment.

BlueBird 6 has the largest commercial phased-array antenna in low Earth orbit at nearly 2,400 square feet, making it 3.5 times bigger than BlueBird 1–5 and capable of delivering 10 times more data capacity.

AST SpaceMobile is speeding up its satellite production and plans to launch 45-60 satellites by the end of 2026, enabling continuous mobile coverage across the United States and selected markets. AST SpaceMobile has partnered with major telecom companies like Rakuten, AT&T, and Verizon to provide customers easy access to its technology. It also gained long-term L-band spectrum rights through the Ligado acquisition, helping it expand globally and offer satellite cellular services more independently.

Beyond BlueBird 6’s launch, ASTS is rapidly expanding its manufacturing footprint by adding two new factories in Texas and Florida, boosting its satellite production capacity. By launching more satellites and working with major telecom partners, ASTS builds continuous coverage and generates long-term revenues in the future.

How Are Other Competitors Performing?

AST SpaceMobile faces competition from Viasat, Inc. (VSAT) and Iridium Communications Inc. (IRDM). Iridium is expanding its global satellite network and PNT services to provide a reliable and secure connectivity with navigation for IoT, critical infrastructure, and autonomous systems, leading to its long-term growth. Iridium is working with partners like Deutsche Telekom to use its satellites to connect devices directly worldwide. Iridium partnered with Vodafone to make IoT devices stay connected worldwide, including in remote areas, by using its satellites alongside regular mobile networks.

Viasat recently launched the ViaSat-3 F2 satellite, which increases network capacity and provides faster and improved Internet services across America for commercial, consumer, and defense users. Viasat makes a contract with the U.S. Space Force to build a secure dual-band satellite system offering reliable military communications for future missions. Viasat’s satellite business is growing strongly due to higher-paying customers, rising in-flight Wi-Fi demand, and efficient use of bandwidth, giving it a competitive edge.

ASTS’ Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

AST SpaceMobile shares have skyrocketed 186.6% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 21.1%.

From a valuation standpoint, AST SpaceMobile trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 95.11, well above the industry.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AST SpaceMobile’s bottom line for 2025 has declined 8.16% to a loss of $1.06, while the estimate for 2026 has declined 8.8% to a loss of .74 cents over the past 60 days.

AST SpaceMobile currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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