AST SpaceMobile has not formally delayed BlueBirds 14-16, but it has yet to announce their shipment, Cape Canaveral arrival, or launch date.
- Stocktwits sentiment stayed bearish, and weekly message volume fell 5%, though several retail investors defended AST’s “long game.”
- The company shifted its target of 45 satellites in orbit from year-end 2026 to early 2027.
- COO Shanti Gupta and CTO Huiwen Yao filed proposed sales covering 52,000 shares worth $3.06 million.
Shares of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) rose over 1% overnight late Wednesday even as investors sought clarity on the next BlueBird launch, while filings showed two senior executives proposed selling more than $3 million in stock.
ASTS stock rose 1% on Wednesday to close at $59.27, but is still down about 1% for the week.
BlueBird Uncertainty Fails To Shake ASTS Retail Bulls
Retail investors on Stocktwits largely defended AST SpaceMobile’s long-term prospects, shrugging off uncertainty around BlueBirds 14-16. Sentiment on the platform has been ‘bearish’ over the past week amid a 5% decline in message volumes over the same period.
One bullish user dismissed the reaction to a “slight delay” affecting the next satellite batch. “They never waited 6 months for BW3 with 0 news,” the user said. “Get a grip! This is the long game we’re playing.”
Another user noted that AST published a factory video earlier this month. “Management does not need to give us daily updates,” the user said. “The story isn’t how often management tweets; the story is how many BlueBirds ultimately get into orbit, become operational, and start generating revenue.”
A third user pointed to AST’s position in the direct-to-device markets of the U.S., Europe and Japan, arguing that investors should not abandon their optimism because of a launch delay. “Yes, patience and long term thinking is needed as a investor here,” the user said.
Why BlueBirds 14-16 Are Drawing Scrutiny
AST SpaceMobile has not formally announced a delay to BlueBirds 14-16. Investor concern instead stems from the gap between the company’s earlier promises and the absence of a shipment or launch update. AST had long promised a campaign of launches every one to two months. The company proved its cadence when BlueBirds 8-10 launched on June 17 and BlueBirds 11-13 followed 49 days later on Aug.5.
The company had suggested that the next batch would follow quickly. CEO Abel Avellan said BlueBirds 14-16 were “right behind” the previous trio in July. The company later said they would “follow right after,” while Avellan said after the Aug.5 mission that they would “follow soon after” and that beta service was “around the corner.”
CFO Andy Johnson went further during the August earnings call, saying BlueBirds 14-16 were “ready to ship shortly.” However, AST’s August end update said that only BlueBird 14 was complete, while BlueBirds 15 and 16 were “nearing completion” and “not far behind as we move towards launch.” The company has not yet announced a shipment, Cape Canaveral arrival, or launch date.
That update also confirmed the full deployment of BlueBirds 12 and 13 but did not provide the same confirmation for BlueBird 11. AST previously said it had established communications with all three satellites and confirmed nominal operations.
The questions matter since AST has already moved its deployment target. It originally planned to have 45-60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026. Even after BlueBird 7 was placed into an unusably low orbit in April, Avellan said AST still targeted 45 satellites this year. However, a July filing formally shifted the target to 45 satellites in early 2027. AST estimates that it needs 45-60 satellites for continuous service across the U.S., Europe, Japan and other key markets, while about 25 could support non-continuous service.
Top Executives Propose $3M In Share Sales
Separately, chief operating officer Shanti Gupta and chief technology officer Huiwen Yao filed notices covering a combined 52,000 ASTS shares valued at about $3.06 million.
Yao proposed selling 40,000 shares worth about $2.36 million through B. Riley Securities. He acquired the shares on Aug.19 through a cash-funded stock-option exercise. The filing lists Wednesday as the approximate sale date and says the transaction was arranged under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on June 5. Such plans allow executives to establish trading instructions in advance.
By contrast, Gupta proposed selling 12,000 shares through Fidelity, valued at $706,637. The shares vested on Aug.15 as compensation. His filing does not identify a Rule 10b5-1 plan. Together, the proposed sales represent about 0.017% of AST’s nearly 299.8 million outstanding shares.
ASTS stock has risen 47% over the past year.
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