Weak signal · 1 July 2026, 06:30 UTC
ASTS BlueBird Block 2 deployment cadence accelerating.
As the brief logged it
BlueBirds 8, 9, 10 launched June 17, 2026 (SpaceX Falcon 9; Block 2, designed to "nearly double prior peak data speeds"). Announcement of BlueBirds 11, 12, 13 launch in "first half of August 2026" confirmed June 23. Rakuten 50/50 JV formalised June 25 (8-K filed; covered in June 30 brief S1). If J-LEO is awarded, AST's fleet by end-August = ~20 BlueBirds across its combined commercial/Japan stack. AST's 2 GHz block position, when combined with Rakuten 700 MHz Japan coverage, makes it the most credible non-Musk D2D operator globally — direct COM(2026)311 read-across as the model for an independent European D2D operator that SES could partner or that SpaceRISE could incorporate.
Provenance
Logged in the brief of 1 July 2026.
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