BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 launch, bringing the constellation to 13 satellites

AST SpaceMobile/BlueBird constellation

A Falcon 9 launched AST SpaceMobile's BlueBirds 11, 12 and 13 from Cape Canaveral early on 5 August 2026, bringing its constellation to 13 satellites. These are next-generation BlueBirds built to connect directly with ordinary, unmodified smartphones, with no cell tower or extra hardware.

• The upper stage released the three satellites into low Earth orbit about 54 minutes after liftoff, one by one over roughly 11 minutes.
• Each unfolds an antenna array of about 2,400 sq ft, nearly double the 693 sq ft of the first-generation Block 1 satellites.
• The big array is what lets a satellite hear a phone's weak signal; AST expects nearly double Block 1's peak download speed (98.9 Mbps).
• AST plans to start a beta cellular broadband service later in 2026 after checks on the system.