Launch Failure May Hinder Direct-To-Device Services Rollout
AST SpaceMobile has experienced a setback with its latest satellite, BlueBird 7, being deployed in the wrong orbit due to launch issues. The satellite was carried into low Earth Orbit by Blue Origin’s New Glenn reusable rocket but was placed too low for sustainable operations. Despite this, the company remains committed to its goal of deploying a constellation of roughly 90 LEO satellites to provide global coverage of direct-to-device satellite services. This development was first reported by Total Telecom.