Setback for Vodafone UK and AST Space Mobile Plan as Satellite Launch Fails

The joint plan by Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile (aka – Satellite Connect Europe) to launch a space-based 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) service – that will connect with regular Smartphones – has suffered a setback, which occurred after Sunday’s orbital launch of a BlueBird 7 spacecraft on the New Glenn rocket ended up placing the satellite into the wrong orbit.

Just for some background. AST previously conducted trials of a prototype 1.5-ton BlueWalker 3 (here) satellite that orbits at an altitude of a little over 500km and features a huge 693-square-foot (64.4-square-meter) phased array antenna (here). The satellite was specifically designed for sending and receiving mobile signals between the space-based platform and regular mobile handsets – Direct-to-Device (DtD).

The company is now in the process of launching a total of 100 similar satellites (BlueBirds) over the next few years (future models are 3.5 times bigger and more capable). AST already has about 6 active satellites in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and they’re aiming to reach 45–60 satellites launched by the end of 2026, which should be enough to deliver continuous coverage across the USA and select markets like the UK.

The seventh satellite was due to join those yesterday via the third mission of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket (NG-3), which incidentally was successful in landing its main booster stage (SpaceX style) post-launch for possible future re-use. But the upper stage of their rocket ended up releasing the satellite into the wrong orbit, and it cannot be saved.

Statement by AST SpaceMobile

During the New Glenn 3 mission, BlueBird 7 was placed into a lower than planned orbit by the upper stage of the launch vehicle. While the satellite separated from the launch vehicle and powered on, the altitude is too low to sustain operations with its on-board thruster technology and will de-orbited. The cost of the satellite is expected to be recovered under the company’s insurance policy.

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

The company continues to expect an orbital launch every one to two months on average during 2026, supported by agreements with multiple launch providers, and it continues to target approximately 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026.

One possible difficultly with the above expectation is that Blue Origin may now have to ground its rocket for an extended period while they analyse what went wrong with the upper stage. The issue won’t affect any launches that AST may have had planned with other rocket companies, but it could still have a delaying impact on some of their targets (they had planned a lot of fairly rapid launches on New Glenn).

We suspect Vodafone may still be able to launch its first trial services with customers sometime this Summer as planned or possibly later this year (here), although achieving a full commercial launch now seems likely to be pushed back.