AST falls after Bezos’ Blue Origin places satellite in wrong orbit
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket carrying an AST SpaceMobile Bluebird 7 satellite launches from pad 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, April 19, 2026.
Paul Hennesy | Anatolia | Getty Images
A failed satellite launch was sent AST Space Mobile It fell sharply on Monday.
The stock fell nearly 12% in premarket trading after a rocket designed by Jeff Bezos’ space technology company Blue Origin placed the satellite into a lower orbit than planned on Sunday.
AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite will be the eighth satellite the company has launched into low-Earth orbit, the company said Sunday. Press release. It was launched on Blue Origin’s third New Glenn rocket.
Blue Origin acknowledged in a document Publish on X He added that the satellite was placed in the wrong orbit but was assessing the situation and would provide further updates. The company has not made any statements since the satellite was officially deemed lost.
The cost of the satellite loss is expected to be covered by an insurance policy, AST said in a statement. In addition, the company, which expects to launch a satellite every one or two months on average in 2026, said that BlueBird 8, 9 and 10 satellites will be ready to be sent within 30 days.
Annual table of ASTS.
William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma thinks it will now be difficult to reach AST’s goal of 45 satellites in orbit by the end of the year. But he did not view Sunday’s events as a total loss for the company.
“AST has gained experience integrating its satellite with New Glenn and working with the Blue Origin team,” DiPalma wrote in Monday’s note. “This experience will be an integral part of future missions. The good news is that with only one satellite on board, future New Glenn launches may include as many as eight of AST’s BlueBirds.”
Following the news, Clear Street analyst Greg Pendy reiterated his buy rating and maintained his bullish outlook on the stock, while lowering his price target from $137 to $115. That’s still a 34% gain from Friday’s close, but much less than the previously anticipated 60% rise in shares.
UBS analyst Christopher Schoell said in a note that the financial impact on AST will be limited but added that AST and its share price performance are now linked to Bezos’ Blue Origin.
“We believe the success of Blue Origin’s New Glenn is key to meeting year-end distribution targets/management’s 2027 revenue target and expect uncertainty to weigh on investor sentiment until greater initial clarity becomes available,” Schoell wrote.
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