# Kook's Weekly - April 26 - The 99 Successes of a Launch Failure Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ast-spacemobile-podcast-7446851/kook-s-weekly-april-26-the-99-successes-of-a-launch-failure Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ast-spacemobile-podcast-7446851/kook-s-weekly-april-26-the-99-successes-of-a-launch-failure.md Podcast: [AST SpaceMobile Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ast-spacemobile-podcast-7446851) Published: 2026-04-27T08:34:38+00:00 Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spacemob/episodes/Kooks-Weekly---April-26---The-99-Successes-of-a-Launch-Failure-e3ih79s Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/1082b3988/podcast/play/119102204/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-3-27%2Fe82e404f-f620-268a-2d1b-e24d5fe04530.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ast-spacemobile-podcast-7446851/episodes/kook-s-weekly-april-26-the-99-successes-of-a-launch-failure Duration seconds: 4043 ## Resource Kook breaks down the aftermath of the Blue Origin launch failure, emphasizing that while the BlueBird 7 satellite was lost, the mission achieved significant engineering milestones. The discussion highlights the team's confidence and the valuable data gathered during the deorbit process, which effectively closed the loop on engineering questions regarding orbital debris mitigation for the SpaceMob. The technical capabilities of the satellites continue to evolve, with Abel Avellan revealing a capacity of 150 megabits per second. This spectral efficiency is a key differentiator for SpaceMobile, especially when compared to the data limitations of competitors. The focus remains on scaling the production factory and shaking down the manufacturing line to move into a steady deployment cadence. A major regulatory milestone was reached with the FCC approval of the SCS application. This win allows for the use of low-band spectrum with partners like AT&T and Verizon. Kook explains why this spectrum creates an impenetrable moat, as the physics of low-band waves require the massive phased arrays that only SpaceMobile has successfully developed. John Stankey’s comments during the AT&T earnings call are analyzed as a major positive indicator for the company's future. By explicitly naming SpaceMobile and highlighting the dedication of R&D resources, AT&T has signaled that the company is a vital part of its long-term roadmap. This counters bearish narratives regarding consumer demand and highlights the dependency tier-one carriers have on this technology. Finally, the episode addresses the market pressure from Rakuten’s share sales and the upcoming launch schedule. With the next several batches of satellites slated for SpaceX Falcon 9 launches, the path to a full conste… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ast-spacemobile-podcast-7446851/episodes/kook-s-weekly-april-26-the-99-successes-of-a-launch-failure/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/ast-spacemobile-podcast-7446851/kook-s-weekly-april-26-the-99-successes-of-a-launch-failure.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.