AST SpaceMobile Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTS) reported that its BlueBird 7 satellite was placed into an orbit too low to sustain operations during a New Glenn launch vehicle mission and will de-orbit.

The satellite separated from the launch vehicle and powered on but cannot maintain operations with its onboard thruster technology at the lower-than-planned altitude achieved by the upper stage of the New Glenn 3 mission. The company expects to recover the satellite's cost under its insurance policy.

BlueBird 7 would have been the company's eighth satellite deployed into low Earth orbit for its space-based cellular broadband network. AST SpaceMobile is currently in production through BlueBird 32, with BlueBird 8 to 10 expected to be ready to ship in approximately 30 days.

The company maintains its expectation to conduct orbital launches every one to two months on average during 2026, supported by agreements with multiple launch providers. It continues to target approximately 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026.

AST SpaceMobile is developing a cellular broadband network in space designed to operate directly with standard mobile devices.