US Space Communication Stocks with $40 Billion Cash Ahead of June Satellite Launch and FCC Commercial Approval

AST SpaceMobile, Inc., a U.S. satellite-based communications company, today released its first-quarter 2026 results and business update, reaffirming its annual revenue guidance of $150 million to $200 million (approximately KRW 200 billion to 270 billion). This outlook is underpinned by the planned additional launches of its BlueBird satellites and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s recent approval for commercial service.

For Q1, the company reported revenue of $14.7 million (about KRW 20 billion), driven primarily by gateway deliveries and milestones under a U.S. government project. However, heavy investments in satellites, ground facilities, spectrum and higher operating costs led to a net loss of $191 million (roughly KRW 260 billion). As of quarter-end, AST SpaceMobile held approximately $3.5 billion in cash and liquid assets (around KRW 4.7 trillion).

In related filings, the company disclosed that on May 13 and May 20, insider Julio A. Torres and Chief Financial and Legal Officer Andrew Martin Johnson sold common stock valued at about $1.15 million and $450,000, respectively (roughly KRW 15 billion and KRW 6 billion). Both sales were executed to cover expected tax obligations arising from the vesting of previously granted RSUs.

In April, AST SpaceMobile received FCC authorization to deploy up to 248 low-Earth-orbit satellites and commercially offer its SpaceMobile service—direct-to-smartphone LTE and 5G connectivity—across the United States. The company also reconfirmed plans to launch BlueBird satellites 8, 9 and 10 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle in June.

Following the April mission in which BlueBird 7 failed to reach its intended orbit and was subsequently deorbited under insurance coverage, industry observers view the upcoming June launch as a critical test for meeting the year-end target of approximately 45 deployed satellites.

AST SpaceMobile develops a direct-to-device service that delivers standard LTE and 5G signals from LEO satellites straight to everyday smartphones, eliminating the need for terrestrial base stations. The company has established partnerships with major U.S. carriers, including AT&T and Verizon. Competing global operators such as SpaceX’s Starlink are also entering the D2D market, making the timing of commercial service launches and the cadence of large-scale satellite deployments key factors for the industry beyond 2026.