AST SpaceMobile Delays FM1 Satellite Launch to Q1 2026

A significant delay in the launch of AST SpaceMobile’s FM1 prototype satellite, crucial for providing cellular connectivity to smartphones, has emerged. The company, in partnership with India’s space agency ISRO, initially planned to launch the FM1 this month, but it is now anticipated to take place during Q1 2026.

V. Narayanan, the head of ISRO, revealed this information during a press conference, stating that “Most likely December-January time frame, this [launch] will be executed.” The delay arises as AST SpaceMobile seeks to launch a larger satellite for enhanced capacity, three times the size of its first-generation BlueBird satellites.

The increased capacity promises to serve more smartphones on the ground with improved speeds. AST has partnered with AT&T and Verizon to offer satellite connectivity to smartphones, entering direct competition with T-Mobile’s cellular Starlink service. AST aims to initiate a “nationwide intermittent service in the United States” by year’s end; however, this timeline is uncertain due to the delay at ISRO.

AST originally intended to launch the first second-generation BlueBirds in Q1 2025, necessitating the launch of 45 to 60 satellites for continuous coverage in the US. Currently, there are only five first-generation BlueBirds in orbit. AST expects “at least five orbital launches by [the] end of Q1 2026,” suggesting that other satellite launches may proceed despite the FM1 delay.

In addition to ISRO, AST has contracted SpaceX and Blue Origin for satellite launches. The plan is to conduct launches at an average rate of “every one to two months” to reach the goal of 45 to 60 satellites launched during 2025 and 2026.

Stay tuned for updates on this developing story, as AST continues its efforts to revolutionize cellular connectivity.