SpaceX rival AST SpaceMobile prepares to deploy nearly five dozen satellites
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AST SpaceMobile, a satellite designer and manufacturer, said the company will deploy fully-funded satellites by 2026 in a rival to Elon Musk's SpaceX.
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August 12, 2025
05:54 PM
CNBC
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In this articleASTS your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTJaque Silva | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesSatellite designer AST SpaceMobile said it's preparing to deploy nearly five dozen satellites to power cellular-based broadband networks, a move that establishes the company as a rival to Elon Musk's dominant SpaceX.The company, based in Texas, released its second-quarter earnings after the bell on Monday, reporting that its satellites are fully funded and preparing for deployment with more than $1.5 billion on its balance sheet.s of the space company surged more than 10% on the news on Tuesday
The stock is up more than 140% year to date in what's been a boom for space broadband nology."We are confirming our fully-funded plan to deploy 45 to 60 satellites into orbit by 2026 to support continuous service in the US, Europe, Japan, and other strategic , including the U.S
Government," CEO Abel Avellan said in the report. "We also have planned orbital launches every one to two months on average during 2025 and 2026."AST SpaceMobile currently has six satellites in orbit, used for both commercial and government applications
The company plans to deploy service in the U.S. by the end of the year, ed by the U.K., Japan and Canada in the first quarter of 2026.Avellan added that AST SpaceMobile plans to launch satellites every one to two months to reach its goal of 45 to 60 by next year.With Monday's announcement, the company joins the growing race to build broadband service in space, with notable player SpaceX currently boasting more than 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit
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