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SpaceX Launches Three Massive BlueBird Satellites for 200Mbps Service

6/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

SpaceX launched three AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket on June 17.
BlueBird 8, 9 and 10 each span roughly 2,400 square feet, making them the largest commercial communications arrays in low Earth orbit.
The satellites are designed to deliver peak data speeds of nearly 200 Mbps directly to standard smartphones.
BlueBird 7 entered the wrong orbit on a New Glenn launch and subsequently burned up.
A New Glenn rocket exploded during a test firing in late May.

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Story summary

SpaceX launched three AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket on June 17.
BlueBird 8, 9 and 10 each span roughly 2,400 square feet, making them the largest commercial communications arrays in low Earth orbit.
The satellites are designed to deliver peak data speeds of nearly 200 Mbps directly to standard smartphones.
BlueBird 7 entered the wrong orbit on a New Glenn launch and subsequently burned up.
A New Glenn rocket exploded during a test firing in late May.