AST SpaceMobile, a Texas-based company, has announced the development of its own medium-lift rocket, Blacklift. The vehicle is designed to carry 20 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, with commercial operations targeted for late 2028.
To accelerate development, AST signed an agreement with Firefly Aerospace. The deal includes a perpetual license to manufacture Miranda and Vira engines, engineering support for three years, and the delivery of engines for the first three rockets.
AST has committed $1.3 billion to Firefly for this partnership. This includes $800 million for the engine license, $250 million for 27 Miranda and nine Vira engines, and $250 million for engineering services. The engine cost per vehicle for the first three rockets is $83 million.
Despite this new project, AST maintains existing launch contracts with providers like SpaceX and Blue Origin. These agreements cover the deployment of over 100 BlueBird satellites between 2027 and 2028.
