Firefly inks $1.3 billion deal to supply engines for new AST SpaceMobile ’Blacklift’ rocket

Investing.com · 2026-11-06 15:18 UTC

Firefly inks $1.3 billion deal to supply engines for new AST SpaceMobile ’Blacklift’ rocket

WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Firefly Aerospace will supply core engines for a new rocket under development by satellite communications firm AST SpaceMobile in a $1.3 billion deal, underscoring a push among satellite companies to secure dependable access to space.

The engine deal, announced on Friday, is a key part of new plans by AST SpaceMobile to develop its own heavy-lift rocket named Blacklift as it races to deploy a satellite constellation for global cellular broadband service and wean itself off a reliance on third-party rockets like SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

Firefly will build and supply 27 of its new Miranda engines and 9 in-space Vira engines for the first three Blacklift rockets under the agreement, which also grants a license to AST to eventually manufacture the engines itself.

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