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Firefly Aerospace Lands $1.3 Billion Engine and IP Deal with AST SpaceMobile, Stock Jumps 13%
Read this in the Market Flux appFirefly Aerospace Inc. $FLY
$20.78+36.94%as of publication
- 5D Change
- +15.86%
- Notional
- $259.04M
Firefly Aerospace signed a three-year agreement with AST SpaceMobile valued at more than $1.3 billion, covering engine supply, manufacturing licensing, and engineering support for AST's newly announced heavy-lift rocket program. Under the deal, Firefly will deliver 36 engines, broken down as 27 Miranda and 9 Vira engines, to power the first three rockets. AST also receives a perpetual license to manufacture those engines at a new U.S. facility, while Firefly retains ownership of the underlying intellectual property.
AST will pay approximately $800 million upfront, structured as $400 million in cash and 10 million to 14 million Class A ASTS shares subject to lock-up periods, with an additional $250 million allocated for the engines and $250 million for engineering support over the contract term. The share component will dilute existing AST shareholders.
The deal is tied to AST SpaceMobile's plan to build Blacklift, a 20-ton reusable rocket designed to carry up to five BlueBird satellites per launch, with operations targeted for late 2028. The booster configuration calls for 9 Miranda engines generating approximately 2.1 million pounds of sea-level thrust, exceeding the output of Firefly's own medium-lift Eclipse rocket, which uses 7 Miranda engines producing roughly 1.6 million pounds of force. AST plans a formal Blacklift unveiling on November 12 in New York City. The company said it will continue using external launch providers, with existing agreements covering more than 100 BlueBird satellites slated for deployment in 2027 and 2028.
For Firefly, the proceeds are expected to fund expanded engine testing capacity and accelerate production of its own launch vehicles. Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating on FLY shares, which were trading at $17.71 at the time of that update. FLY shares surged roughly 13% on the news, with ASTS also trading higher. Benzinga noted the broader move may partly reflect a recovery in space and defense stocks after sector-wide losses Thursday tied to concerns about military spending following Democrats' midterm gains.
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Sources
- Yahoo FinanceAST SpaceMobile to Develop Blacklift Rocket Using Firefly Aerospace Engines in $1.3 Billion Agreement
- CNBCStocks making the biggest moves midday: Nvidia, Moderna, IonQ, Airbnb, Firefly Aerospace & more
- Business WireAST SpaceMobile to Build Own 20-Ton Rocket to Deploy BlueBird Satellites in Low Earth Orbit Using Miranda Engines from Firefly Aerospace
- WallstengineFIREFLY SIGNS $1.3B+ ROCKET ENGINE DEAL WITH $ASTS $FLY has signed a 3-year agreement with AST SpaceMobile to supply engines for AST's new heavy-lift rocket. Under the deal: Firefly will deliver 36 engines, including 27 Miranda and 9 Vira engines, for AST's first three rockets. AST will receive a license to manufacture the engines, along with engineering support. Firefly retains ownership of the engine IP. AST will pay Firefly more than $1.3B in a combination of cash and ASTS shares, with the shares subject to lock-up periods. For AST, the goal is to gain greater control over its launch schedule. For Firefly, the additional funding will help expand engine testing capacity and accelerate production of its own launch vehicles.
- MarketsdayAST SpaceMobile $ASTS Heavy-Lift Rocket Expansion - November 06, 2026 🔹 AST SpaceMobile $ASTS unveiled plans to invest over $1.3 billion to manufacture its own custom 20-ton payload rocket to secure dedicated, low-cost access to Low Earth Orbit for its next-generation BlueBird satellites. 🔹 AST SpaceMobile secured 36 Miranda rocket engines from Firefly Aerospace $FLY alongside full production IP licensing rights to build and manufacture the engines in-house. 🔹 The proposed booster configuration features 9 Miranda engines delivering approximately 2.1 million pounds of sea-level thrust, outpowering Firefly Aerospace $FLY's own medium-lift Eclipse architecture (which uses 7 Miranda engines generating ~1.6 million lbf). 🔹 By vertically integrating rocket manufacturing and controlling its propulsion supply chain, AST SpaceMobile $ASTS aims to eliminate external launch bottlenecks and accelerate deployment of its space-based cellular broadband network. #ASTSpaceMobile #FireflyAerospace #SpaceTech #Aerospace #RocketLaunch #Investing #Markets
- InvestingWhy is Firefly Aerospace stock surging today?
- Seeking AlphaFirefly Aerospace signs $1.3B engine deal with AST SpaceMobile
- Briefingcom$FLY: Firefly Aerospace lands $1.3 bln-plus engine, IP and services deal with AST SpaceMobile $ASTS