AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS) shares climbed in premarket trading Thursday after the company announced its BlueBird 7 mission will lift off in late February from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

What's Going Up

BlueBird 7 is essentially a twin of BlueBird 6 and represents the second satellite in AST SpaceMobile's upgraded fleet. The specs are impressive: this thing spans nearly 2,400 square feet and carries the largest commercial communications array currently operating in low Earth orbit. That's 3.5 times larger than the company's first five BlueBird satellites.

The technology behind it is substantial too—backed by more than 3,800 patents and pending claims. These satellites are designed to deliver peak data speeds up to 120 Mbps for space-based voice, data, and streaming services directly to standard mobile phones.

This launch is notable for another reason: it's the inaugural flight for New Glenn, which features a seven-meter fairing capable of hauling up to eight Block 2 BlueBird satellites per mission. That's roughly double the payload volume of traditional five-meter commercial launch systems, which matters when you're trying to build a constellation quickly.

The Bigger Picture

AST SpaceMobile isn't messing around with its deployment timeline. The company has mapped out an aggressive multi-launch campaign for 2026, planning one orbital launch every one to two months with a goal of deploying 45 to 60 satellites by year's end.

Beyond the satellite business, the company recently landed a prime position on the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD program—a multi-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract that could generate additional revenue through future task orders.

Stock Movement: ASTS shares traded up 6.52% at $110.24 during premarket trading Thursday.