AST SpaceMobile develops a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect standard, unmodified smartphones through BlueBird satellites in low Earth orbit. News about ASTS commonly covers satellite production and launches, FCC and spectrum authorizations, direct-to-device service capabilities, and commercial or government applications.
Company updates also include mobile network operator partnerships, government contracts, quarterly business results, revenue commitments, and capital actions tied to funding the SpaceMobile network and manufacturing plan.
Firefly Aerospace (FLY) signed an agreement worth more than $1.3 billion to supply rocket engines and related support to AST SpaceMobile.
The three-year agreement covers 27 Miranda engines and nine vacuum-variant Vira engines for AST SpaceMobile’s first three heavy-lift rockets, engineering support, and a license to manufacture the engines. Firefly retains full ownership of its engine intellectual property and will continue serving government and commercial launch customers.
Payment consists of cash and AST Class A common stock, with the shares subject to various lock-up periods. Firefly plans to use the additional funds to expand hiring, procure long-lead materials and equipment, and add infrastructure, including multiple new test bays in Briggs, Texas, to accelerate its own launch vehicle production and technology roadmap.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) plans to build its own 20-ton Blacklift rocket using engines from Firefly Aerospace (FLY) for satellite deployment. Designed for reusability, Blacklift would carry up to five BlueBird satellites per launch starting in late 2028.
AST SpaceMobile signed an agreement for engines for its first three rockets and three years of engineering services, and will acquire a perpetual license to manufacture Miranda and Vira engines at a new U.S. facility. License consideration is approximately $800 million, comprising $400 million cash and 10 to 14 million Class A shares, determined by a forward volume-weighted average price calculation. Engine deliveries and engineering services each cost $250 million. External launch providers will remain in use, with agreements covering over 100 BlueBird satellites expected to be deployed cumulatively between 2027 and 2028.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) will support prime contractor STR under a U.S. Space Force contract to advance space-based sensing capabilities. The effort covers an additional phase of technology development using AST SpaceMobile’s commercially developed space technologies for government applications beyond communications.
The work falls under a government program evaluating commercial innovation for national security applications. AST SpaceMobile previously worked with STR on related efforts drawing on on-orbit experience. The company sees potential for its dual-use platform to support evolving government needs; the current effort remains technology-development work.
AT&T (T) and AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) completed a handoff between ground-based cellular and direct-to-device satellite networks on October 21, 2026.
The demonstration outside Granite Falls, Washington, moved a connection between AT&T’s wireless network and AST SpaceMobile’s satellite network. Ericsson and Nokia supplied supporting ground-based technology. The companies aim to extend connectivity to remote and hard-to-reach locations using everyday smartphones. AT&T expects the next phase to include beta services under real-world conditions to refine performance, with commercial service remaining the broader objective.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) will host its third-quarter 2026 business update call on November 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Management will discuss business and financial results and answer retail and institutional shareholder questions. Investors can submit questions in advance to investors@ast-science.com. A live webcast will be available on the investor relations Events page, with a replay shortly afterward.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) secured Brazilian regulatory authorization for 30 MHz of S-band spectrum to support its planned space-based cellular broadband service. Anatel also approved secondary use of the 700 MHz band. Agreements with four regional operators support authorized access to up to 20 MHz in that band within their respective licensed areas.
The company plans investment in four gateways in Brazil to connect its BlueBird satellite network with mobile operators’ networks. Deployment and integration planning is underway. Service availability will expand as satellite capacity and ground infrastructure are deployed and network integration progresses, subject to applicable authorizations, device compatibility and commercial arrangements.
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) targets initial, intermittent space-based cellular broadband coverage in five markets before the end of 2026. These are the United States, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
More than 60 gateways are deployed, installed, or in planning worldwide. The company targets approximately 100 MHz of U.S. spectrum access. It has enabled over 3,000 U.S. coverage cells and expects to activate the roughly 5,600 cells covering the contiguous United States before year-end. Enabling the remaining cells is a prerequisite for nationwide rollout. Initial service will be limited to satellites’ coverage areas; expansion depends on satellite capacity, ground infrastructure, network integration and applicable authorizations.
AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) welcomed its European mobile operator partners’ Letter of Intent to explore a potential joint satellite-spectrum bid. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone signed the letter covering Mobile Satellite Services spectrum. AST SpaceMobile expects the collaboration to accelerate network integration and extend coverage into areas without reliable mobile connectivity.
Through its existing joint venture, Satellite Connect Europe, the company is providing European-operated ground infrastructure linking BlueBird satellites with operators’ core networks. The infrastructure is designed to support a European market with over 500 million mobile subscribers, keeping data handling and service control within European jurisdiction. Combining participating operators’ spectrum with satellite spectrum remains subject to applicable authorizations.
AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) reported second quarter 2026 revenue of $31.5 million, mainly from gateway deliveries and U.S. government milestones, and reaffirmed full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $150–200 million. Revenue backlog rose to about $1.30 billion from commercial contracts and U.S. government awards.
The company has 13 BlueBird satellites in orbit and is preparing beta services in 2026 with initial 3,000 digital cells active across the continental U.S. Over 60 MNO partners collectively cover more than 3 billion subscribers. As of June 30, 2026, cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totaled approximately $2.7 billion, with pro forma liquidity exceeding $3.7 billion after a July 2026 $1.150 billion 1.625% convertible notes offering, which AST SpaceMobile expects to result in effective dilution of less than 2%. Total operating expenses were $329.1 million, including a $125.9 million loss on involuntary conversion and $84.1 million of depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation, while adjusted operating expenses were $119.1 million.
AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) announced expanded collaboration with leading European mobile network operators Vodafone, Orange, Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, and Vodafone Ukraine to advance space-based cellular broadband across Europe. Network integration testing, subject to regulatory approvals, is underway in the UK, Ireland, Romania, France, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, and Ukraine.
The work leverages the carrier-neutral gateway infrastructure of Satellite Connect Europe, a joint venture between AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone. Backed by approximately 3,900 patent and patent-pending claims, the BlueBird satellite constellation uses large low Earth orbit phased arrays (~2,400 sq ft) designed to connect directly to standard smartphones, targeting nearly double the peak data speeds of initial Block 1 satellites, which reached 98.9 Mbps.