Firefly Lands $1.3B Engine Deal as AST SpaceMobile Plans Own Rocket

Firefly Aerospace has agreed to supply engines for a new rocket that AST SpaceMobile is developing, in a deal reported at $1.3 billion. For traders, the agreement is a sign that satellite companies are willing to spend heavily on controlling their own access to orbit, a theme that can influence sentiment across space-related stocks.

Key takeaways

• Firefly will build and supply 27 Miranda engines and 9 in-space Vira engines for the first three Blacklift rockets.
• The deal also gives AST a license to eventually manufacture the engines itself.
• AST is targeting late 2028 for the first Blacklift launch, which Reuters described as an ambitious timeline.
• The announcement came on Friday, 6 November 2026, while large-cap tech stocks were mostly higher.

What was announced

Firefly Aerospace will supply core engines for a new rocket under development by satellite communications firm AST SpaceMobile in a $1.3 billion deal. The agreement is a key part of AST's plan to develop its own heavy-lift rocket, named Blacklift, as it races to deploy a satellite constellation for global cellular broadband and reduce its reliance on third-party rockets such as SpaceX's Falcon 9.

On the hardware side, Firefly will build and supply 27 of its new Miranda engines and 9 in-space Vira engines for the first three Blacklift rockets, and the agreement grants AST a license to eventually manufacture the engines itself. Other reports describe the contract as a three-year agreement that includes engine deliveries, licensed intellectual property and engineering support.

On payment, filings indicate AST will pay more than $1.3 billion through a mix of cash and roughly 10 million to 14 million shares of Class A stock. That share component matters to investors because it links part of the deal's cost to AST's equity.

Why it matters for the space sector

AST wants to deploy satellites that connect directly to phones, and launch capacity is a bottleneck for any constellation. AST said the rocket is designed for reusability and can loft up to five of its BlueBird satellites per launch. Owning a launcher could, in theory, give AST more control over schedules and costs, though that depends on the rocket being built and flown successfully.

For Firefly, the contract is a sizeable commercial order. One report noted that the agreement will provide Firefly with additional funds to accelerate production of its own launch vehicle. Firefly is also developing the Vira engine for its own upcoming Eclipse rocket, slated to debut by 2027.

The timeline is the key risk to keep in mind. AST is targeting late 2028 for the debut launch of Blacklift, so the payoff, if it comes, is some way off, and new rockets often face delays.

Wider market backdrop

The story is specific to two smaller space companies, and the verified market snapshot at 15:54 UTC shows no direct read-across in the mega-cap names. Still, risk appetite in technology looked healthy. NVIDIA traded at 189.41, up 4.30% on the day, while Tesla stood at 359.21, up 4.52%. Taiwan Semiconductor was at 373.59, up 5.80%, and Meta was at 624.22, up 3.16%. Microsoft was roughly flat at 535.61, down 0.06%, and Berkshire Hathaway B edged down 0.17% to 571.35.

Share-price moves for Firefly and AST were not part of the verified data, so it is not possible to say here how those stocks reacted.

What to watch next

• How AST funds the deal and how many new shares are ultimately issued.
• Progress on Firefly's Eclipse rocket, since it shares engine technology with the Blacklift plan.
• Any updates to AST's 2028 target for the first Blacklift launch.
• Whether other satellite operators announce similar moves toward owning their launch capacity.

Markets are volatile and this article is for education only, not investment advice.