Why Was $ASTS Dead Silent at the Paris Conference?

AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS) went strangely quiet at the Paris satellite conference this week - Kook breaks down why, plus the Bluebird 11 mystery.

Kook opens with a candid look at retail sentiment hitting rock bottom, admitting he's been distracted by a personal stablecoin (USDe) investment while ASTS stock stays quiet. He dives deep into the Bluebird 11 satellite mystery, walking through TLE tracking data, mean motion comparisons to BW12 and BW13, and the theories around possible station-keeping testing.

The episode covers the surprisingly muted Paris Air Show appearance from AST SpaceMobile, founder Abel Avellan's hands-on leadership style, and why Kook remains skeptical of Viasat's Equatus JV and its prime-contractor approach. He also unpacks the sovereignty and defense trend accelerating across Europe and Asia, Michael Pollock's comments on U.S. Space Force interest, and fresh FCC approvals for international IMT and V-band spectrum.

Rounding out the discussion is a look at the Rocket Lab ATM's odd correlation with ASTS price action, a Wells Fargo forecast on Starlink subscriber growth, New Glenn's return to the pad, and why Kook believes AI data centers in space and direct-to-cell connectivity are two of the biggest long-term secular trends in the sector.

00:00 Introduction and retail sentiment check

01:00 Kook's crypto distraction and stablecoin investing

04:00 Flashback to the May 2024 ASTS run

06:00 The oddly quiet Paris conference recap

08:38 Founder engagement: Abel Avellan's couch story

11:48 Bluebird 11 station-keeping theory and TLE data

14:10 Trusting management vs the Rocket Lab correlation

17:50 The one bar problem and gray area coverage

20:56 Viasat's Equatus JV and prime contractor risk

22:44 Sovereignty and Europe's defense rearmament

24:51 Michael Pollock's Paris comments on Space Force

28:44 Batch 3 satellites and launch tracking

30:56 The poker analogy: launch capacity and cargo backlog

31:47 AI data centers in space

35:28 FCC approvals and spectrum filings

36:02 Rocket Lab ATM and options expiry theory

38:53 SpaceX and Starlink subscriber growth forecast

41:02 New Glenn's return and the launch capacity race

43:40 Closing thoughts

🎙️ Catch all episodes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5u6rTxenTvGw4STNbjswAk

👋 Connect with the host on X: https://x.com/thekookreport

👕 Get the Gear: https://spacemob.printify.me/

📩 AST SpaceMobile Podcast Newsletter: https://ast-spacemobile-podcast.beehiiv.com/

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