AST SpaceMobile Commits $1.3 Billion to Build Its Own Reusable Rocket, Blacklift

AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) plans to develop and manufacture its own reusable rocket, named Blacklift, to deploy its BlueBird satellites into low Earth orbit.

The 20-ton launch vehicle will use Miranda and Vira engines licensed from Firefly Aerospace (NASDAQ: FLY), with the first launches targeted for late 2028.

Under the agreement, AST SpaceMobile will acquire a perpetual license to manufacture Firefly's Miranda and vacuum-variant Vira engines at a new U.S. manufacturing facility.

The licensing deal includes approximately $800 million in consideration, consisting of $400 million in cash and 10 million to 14 million shares of Class A common stock.

Separately, AST SpaceMobile will pay $250 million for engines covering its first three Blacklift launches and another $250 million for engineering support over three years, bringing the total agreement value to approximately $1.3 billion.

Blacklift is being designed for reusability and will be capable of carrying up to five BlueBird satellites per launch.

AST SpaceMobile expects the vehicle to provide more direct control over its launch schedule and reduce its reliance on external launch providers.

The development also advances the company's vertical integration strategy, which already includes in-house manufacturing of its large phased-array antennas for its space-based cellular network.

Firefly's Miranda engine was selected in part because of its existing development and testing history. The engine has completed more than 175 hot-fire tests totaling over 4,200 seconds, including a flight-like test demonstrating 110% of its targeted 230,000 pounds of thrust.

The Blacklift program will complement, rather than replace, AST SpaceMobile's existing multi-provider launch strategy.

The company has agreements covering the deployment of more than 100 BlueBird satellites across 2027 and 2028 and will continue using external launch providers.

AST SpaceMobile also expects its in-house launch capability to support additional government and defense applications, including secure communications, radar, and other specialized networks.

Image credits: AST SpaceMobile