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AST SpaceMobile: We’ll ship first batch of next-gen satellites in April, ramping production for …

LA PLATA, Maryland — Startup satellite direct-to-device (D2D) constellation operator **AST SpaceMobile** expects to begin launches of its second tranche of BlueBird satellites this spring with the goal of deploying up to 60 of them by the end of 2026.

The company’s first five Bluebirds have been in orbit since September 2024 and are “all performing as expected,” Chief Executive Abel Avellan said in a March 3 investor call. “We have fully tested each, and put them into operations.”

AST customers **AT&T . . .**

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