Suryaa Business Desk: A strategic agreement worth approximately $1.3 billion has been finalized between Firefly Aerospace and AST SpaceMobile. The companies announced a three-year partnership focused on the supply of core engines for AST SpaceMobile's new heavy-lift rocket, known as Blacklift.
Under the terms of the agreement, Firefly Aerospace will provide 27 Miranda engines and 9 vacuum-variant Vira engines. These components are intended for the construction of AST SpaceMobile's first three heavy-lift rockets. In addition to engine supply, the deal includes technical licensing and engineering support from Firefly.
Following the announcement, Firefly shares rose by approximately 13 percent, while AST SpaceMobile shares also showed a positive trend.
AST SpaceMobile initiated the Blacklift project to reduce reliance on third-party rockets as it expands its satellite constellation for global mobile broadband services. The company expects the new rocket to be capable of launching five BlueBird satellites simultaneously. The first launch of the Blacklift rocket is targeted for 2028. Firefly stated that the funds from this agreement will be used to expand its production capabilities and research centers.