What the BlueBird satellites doAST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to ordinary smartphones, without requiring specialized hardware on the ground. BlueBirds 11, 12, and 13 will further expand AST SpaceMobile’s space-based cellular broadband network, supporting voice, data, and video services directly to standard, unmodified smartphones while also enabling a growing range of commercial and government applications. These next-generation BlueBird satellites are expected to deliver nearly double the peak download speeds achieved by the company’s initial Block 1 BlueBird satellites, which recently demonstrated peak download speeds of 98.9 Mbps directly to standard smartphones. The satellites incorporate AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation stackable architecture and advanced lightweight composite carbon structures, enabling efficient multi-satellite launches and accelerating constellation deployment. The company has been targeting approximately 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit during 2026, supported by its manufacturing cadence and agreements with multiple launch providers, including Blue Origin, SpaceX, and others.