AST SpaceMobile tells the FCC how it will steer its giant satellites back down

FCC ECFS · SB Docket 25-201 · Supplement · 2026-02-20
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Before a satellite dies, someone has to plan how it falls. In a February 20, 2026 supplement to the FCC, AST & Science (AST SpaceMobile) replaced a passive plan with an active one. After coordinating with NASA, the company said that "in lieu of relying upon random tumbling as a last-resort contingency," it will "deorbit and control spacecraft in a high-drag, gravity-gradient stable orientation" to "improve predictability of orbital trajectories, enhance collision-avoidance capabilities, and mitigate the passive deorbit phase."

In practice that means firing thrusters to drop satellites from 680–690 km to below 530 km, then holding the high-drag orientation until reentry, a phase it expects to last 1.5 to 3.5 years. The proceeding has 145 filings, including 94 comments and 8 oppositions.

"in lieu of relying upon random tumbling as a last-resort contingency, AST SpaceMobile will deorbit and control spacecraft in a high-drag, gravity-gradient stable orientation"

— AST SpaceMobile, FCC docket 25-201

Sources: FCC ECFS filing → · Orbit Sentinel (docket 25-201)

Filed underDocket 25-201Orbital DebrisDeorbitFCCDirect-to-cellAST SpaceMobile

Questions & answers

How will AST SpaceMobile deorbit its satellites?
After coordination discussions with NASA, AST will use thrusters to lower satellites from 680–690 km to below 530 km, then hold a high-drag, gravity-gradient–stable orientation until atmospheric reentry, a phase it expects to last 1.5 to 3.5 years.
Why does the size of AST's satellites matter for deorbiting?
Because of the very large phased-array cross-section, the filing says modifying the drag profile gives more control over the descent than firing thrusters.
What changed from AST's earlier deorbit plan?
Instead of relying on random tumbling as a last-resort contingency, AST will actively control each spacecraft's descent and maintain collision-avoidance through the high-drag phase until shortly before reentry.