Blue Origin New Glenn to Launch AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 on April 16
Summary: Blue Origin's New Glenn heavy-lift rocket is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 16, 2026, carrying AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird Block 2 #2 (BlueBird 7) direct-to-cell broadband satellite to low Earth orbit. This marks the second flight of New Glenn following its inaugural launch in January 2025.
Credit: NASA
Mission Overview
BlueBird 7 is the second satellite in AST SpaceMobile's second-generation Block 2 constellation, designed to build the world's first space-based cellular broadband network accessible by ordinary smartphones — no special hardware or app modifications required.
Key highlights of this mission:
- New Glenn's second flight: Following the January 2025 debut carrying NASA's ESCAPADE Mars mission, this launch represents New Glenn's first commercial customer payload, a critical milestone for proving the rocket's reliability and commercial viability
- Block 2 constellation expansion: AST SpaceMobile launched its first five BlueBird satellites via SpaceX Falcon 9 in 2024, and successfully demonstrated a satellite-assisted video call with Verizon in February 2026
- Commercial launch competition: New Glenn joins SpaceX Falcon 9/Heavy and ULA Vulcan Centaur in reshaping the U.S. heavy-lift launch market
AST SpaceMobile Background
AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird satellites feature large phased-array antennas spanning hundreds of square meters when deployed, enabling direct communication with standard 4G/5G smartphones on existing terrestrial cellular frequencies. The Block 2 satellites offer significantly improved capacity and coverage compared to the first generation.
In February 2026, Verizon and AST SpaceMobile completed the first satellite-to-cellular live video call, marking a major step from text messaging to high-bandwidth applications over space-based cellular links.