AST SpaceMobile Unfolds Record-Breaking Satellite Antenna in Space

Largest Commercial Antenna Ever Deployed in Orbit

AST SpaceMobile has achieved a significant milestone in the race to deliver space-based cellular broadband, successfully completing the unfolding of its BlueBird 6 satellite in low Earth orbit. The satellite now holds the record for the largest commercial communications array antenna ever deployed in LEO, spanning approximately two thousand four hundred square feet.

From Launch to Full Deployment

BlueBird 6 launched on 23 December from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, aboard an ISRO LVM3 rocket. Following weeks of careful orbital manoeuvres, the company confirmed on 10 February 2026 that the satellite's massive phased array antenna had been fully unfolded and was operating as expected.

The satellite represents a major leap over its predecessors. BlueBird 6 is more than three times larger than the company's earlier BlueBird 1 through 5 satellites and is designed to support peak data speeds of up to 120 megabits per second, roughly ten times the bandwidth capacity of the earlier generation.

Built in Texas, Launched from India

The satellite was assembled, integrated, and tested at AST SpaceMobile's manufacturing facilities in Midland, Texas. CEO Abel Avellan described the achievement as the result of specialised American manufacturing combined with world-class engineering. The company operates nearly 500,000 square feet of manufacturing space, employs close to 1,800 people, and holds more than 3,800 patent and patent-pending claims.

Race to Global Coverage

AST SpaceMobile's technology enables full 4G and 5G cellular broadband services to work on unmodified smartphones anywhere in the world. The company has agreements with more than 50 mobile network operators globally, including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Rakuten, and Google. AT&T plans to initiate a beta satellite service for select users in the first half of 2026.

The company aims to launch 45 to 60 satellites by the end of 2026, with BlueBird 7 scheduled for late February from Cape Canaveral aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. Approximately 100 satellites are needed for full global coverage.

Competition and Defence Contracts

AST SpaceMobile faces competition from SpaceX's Starlink, which has partnered with T-Mobile on direct-to-device services. The company was also recently awarded a prime contract position on the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD programme, highlighting growing government interest in its dual-use technology.