AST SpaceMobile’s shares have built on the momentum of its Bluebird launches as well as several deals with the likes of Verizon and the U.S. government.
- On late Tuesday, BlueBird 6 mission lifted off and has become the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit, spanning nearly 2,400 square feet.
- One of the significant deals that AST SpaceMobile struck this year was with Verizon, under which AST SpaceMobile will provide direct-to-cellular AST SpaceMobile service to Verizon customers starting in 2026.
- In late November, AST SpaceMobile announced the addition of two new manufacturing sites in Texas and Florida, as it continues to expand its operations.
Space stocks have had a banner year, lifted by a steady tempo of launches, renewed SpaceX IPO chatter, and President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a U.S. return to the Moon by 2028. Rocket Lab and Intuitive Machines have grabbed plenty of headlines along the way — but the sector’s true breakout star has been an unexpected one: AST SpaceMobile, whose shares have more than quadrupled this year.
Unlike traditional launch providers, AST is betting on a bold vision: a global, space-based cellular broadband network powered by its BlueBird satellites — one that connects directly to standard, unmodified smartphones.
The momentum hasn’t come out of nowhere. For ASTS, the year has been marked by a flurry of partnerships, including deals with the U.S. government and Verizon, as well as an expansion of manufacturing capacity and targeted acquisitions aimed at strengthening the company’s long-term footprint.
AST SpaceMobile’s reach is already substantial. The company has inked agreements with more than 50 mobile network operators worldwide, representing nearly 3 billion subscribers. It boasts strategic partnerships with industry heavyweights, including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Rakuten, Google, American Tower, Bell, and stc Group.
In a space sector dominated by rockets and lunar ambitions, AST’s stock surge demonstrates that the biggest gains need not always come from out-of-the-world goals but from just keeping the Earth connected.
Bluebird 6 Takes Off
On late Tuesday, the BlueBird 6 mission lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, and has become the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit, spanning nearly 2,400 square feet.
AST SpaceMobile said that Bluebird 6 is three times larger than the company’s previous BlueBirds 1-5, engineered to deliver commercial and government applications, including high-speed 4G and 5G space-based cellular broadband directly to standard, unmodified smartphones, and government applications.
BlueBird 6 was assembled, integrated, and tested at AST SpaceMobile’s manufacturing facilities in Midland, Texas and the company said that the recent launch keeps it on track to launch 45 to 60 satellites by the end of 2026, with launches planned every one or two months on average.
ASTS’ Deals Of The Year
One of the significant deals that AST SpaceMobile struck this year was with Verizon, in which the former announced it would provide direct-to-cellular AST SpaceMobile service to Verizon customers starting in 2026.
The combination of Verizon’s highly reliable terrestrial mobile network, premium multi-operator 850 MHz cellular spectrum, and AST SpaceMobile’s space-based cellular network in low Earth orbit would help cellular customers stay connected wherever they are, from hiking trails to city centers.
In August, AST SpaceMobile announced an agreement to acquire global S-Band spectrum priority rights held under the International Telecommunication Union. The $64.5 million deal gives rights to Mobile Satellite Services frequencies in the range of 1980-2010 MHz and 2170-2200 MHz, for use in low Earth orbit.
Vodafone Group and AST SpaceMobile also announced this year that their new joint-venture satellite company, SatCo, will be headquartered in Luxembourg to create a European sovereign integrated satellite service.
AST SpaceMobile’s Growth Story So Far
This year, AST SpaceMobile also received a new contract award from the U.S. government and signed an agreement with stc Group covering Saudi Arabia and other key regional markets in the Middle East and North Africa, with a 10-year term and a $175 million prepayment for future services.
As of Sept. 30, the company had $1.2 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash. Its quarterly revenue came in at $14.7 million, driven by gateway deliveries and U.S. Government milestones.
During the third quarter, the company raised $1.15 billion of gross proceeds from a new 10-year convertible senior notes offering.
Expansion In The U.S.
In late November, AST SpaceMobile announced the addition of two new manufacturing sites in Texas and Florida, as it continues to expand its operations. The company now employs more than 1,800 professionals, the majority of whom are based at its West Texas headquarters.
Texas is the company’s primary manufacturing hub and is now home to five facilities, including a new site in Midland, where AST SpaceMobile builds its highly sophisticated BlueBird satellites from raw materials to finished spacecraft. The company said that it is 95% vertically integrated, with all major manufacturing processes kept under U.S. control.
What Is Retail Thinking?
Retail sentiment on AST SpaceMobile improved to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘neutral’ a week ago, with message volumes at ‘extremely high’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits.
A bullish user on Stocktwits expects ASTS to hit $121 by the end of this year and noted that, in March 2026, the stock could be trading at $165.
The retail user message count on the stock has jumped nearly 343% in the last one year on Stocktwits, while it also saw a 50% increase in users adding the ticker to their watchlist.
Shares of AST SpaceMobile have jumped over 274% in the last 12 months, while Rocket Lab’s stock has seen a 210% increase, and Intuitive Machines has risen nearly 22% in the same period.
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