A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket launched the AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 cellular broadband satellite on the NG-3 mission from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:25 a.m. on 19 April 2026. Following separation, New Glenn's booster successfully landed on the Jacklyn landing platform stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This is the second flight of this booster, which previously launched the NG-2 mission.

Following launch, a press release from AST SpaceMobile stated the satellite was delivered to the wrong orbit:

"AST SpaceMobile, Inc. ("AST SpaceMobile") (NASDAQ: ASTS), the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, addresses today’s orbital launch of BlueBird 7 on the New Glenn launch vehicle.

During the New Glenn 3 mission, BlueBird 7 was placed into a lower than planned orbit by the upper stage of the launch vehicle. While the satellite separated from the launch vehicle and powered on, the altitude is too low to sustain operations with its on-board thruster technology and will de-orbited. The cost of the satellite is expected to be recovered under the company’s insurance policy.

BlueBird 7 would have been AST SpaceMobile’s eighth deployed into low Earth orbit and is one of many planned for its space-based cellular broadband network. The company is currently in production through BlueBird 32, with BlueBird 8 to 10 expected to be ready to ship in approximately 30 days.

The company continues to expect an orbital launch every one to two months on average during 2026, supported by agreements with multiple launch providers, and it continues to target approximately 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026."