A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket carrying an AST SpaceMobile Bluebird 7 satellite lifts off from Pad 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, April 19, 2026.
Paul Hennesy | Anadolu | Getty Images
A failed satellite launch sent shares of AST SpaceMobile falls on Monday.
The stock fell more than 5% after a rocket designed by Jeff Bezos’ space technology company Blue Origin carried the satellite to a lower orbit than planned on Sunday.
AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite would have been the eighth satellite launched into low Earth orbit, the company announced in a news release Sunday. The launch took place with Blue Origin’s third New Glenn rocket.
Blue Origin confirmed in a post on The company has not commented as the satellite was officially considered lost.
The cost of the satellite loss is expected to be covered by an insurance policy, AST said in the release. It is also expected that a satellite will be launched every one to two months on average in 2026, and BlueBird satellites 8, 9 and 10 are expected to be ready for delivery in 30 days.
Stock chart iconStock chart icon
ASTS chart for the current year.
Louie DiPalma, an analyst at William Blair, believes that the AST goal of having 45 satellites in orbit by the end of the year is likely to be difficult to achieve at this time. However, he did not see 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 a note Monday. “This experience will be critical for future missions. The silver lining is that there was only one satellite on board, while future New Glenn launches could potentially have up to eight BlueBirds from AST.”
Clear Street analyst Greg Pendy remained bullish on the stock, reiterating a Buy rating following the news, but lowered his price target to $115 from $137. That’s still up 34% from Friday’s close, but much less than its previously projected 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 vehicle … is key to achieving management’s year-end launch/2027 revenue target and expect uncertainty to initially weigh on investor sentiment until there is more clarity,” Schoell wrote.
Markets change and headlines fade, but the fundamental principles for building long-term wealth remain unchanged. Join us for our third CNBC Pro LIVE, where investors of all backgrounds – from financial professionals to everyday individuals – come together to break out of the noise and get actionable strategies for smarter, more disciplined investing. No matter where you start, you’ll leave with clearer thinking and stronger strategies. Enter your email address here to receive a discount code
Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.