> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bullished.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # AST SpaceMobile Bets On Its Own Rocket To Cut Launch Costs By 75% - URL: https://www.bullished.co/ast-spacemobile-bets-on-its-own-rocket-to-cut-launch-costs-by-75-c36086e2/ - Published: 2026-11-10T01:20:58.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-10T01:20:58.000Z - Description: Management expects several hundred million dollars in additional rocket spending in 2027, while analysts question reliability and reuse. - Author: Matteo Parrino - Tags: Earnings, ASTS, Industry: Communication Services [AST SpaceMobile](https://www.bullished.co/tag/asts/), which is building a satellite network to connect ordinary smartphones beyond cell coverage, argues that its own rocket could cut launch costs by 75%. President Scott Wisniewski made the case on the company's earnings call Monday, as analysts challenged the engines' reliability and the company's ability to build a reusable rocket. ## Cheaper Launches, Costly Development Wisniewski called a 75% reduction from market launch prices "very feasible" and said savings could be greater. Launch spending accounts for a significant majority of satellite unit costs, he told a William Blair analyst, so management expects owning the launch vehicle to bring down its approximately $21 million to $23 million capital-cost estimate substantially once internal launches reach scale. That estimate includes satellite materials and launches for a constellation of more than 90 Bluebirds, excluding some initial spacecraft and launches used to test performance and operations. Management also warned that accelerating launch schedules could increase those costs. AST [announced BlackLift](https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/ast-spacemobile-announces-new-blacklift-rocket-targets-2028-launch-debut?ref=bullished.co) Friday, targeting a 2028 debut. On Monday, management specified initial launches in late 2028 for the planned 20-ton reusable vehicle, which would carry up to five Bluebirds per flight. The Firefly engine license costs about $800 million, split equally between cash and stock, with a separate $500 million agreement for supplies and services supporting initial launches. Wisniewski said the upfront cash and stock consideration would be paid within days; service payments would run over three years, while engine purchases would involve an initial payment and amounts due on delivery. Those commitments are only part of the investment. Wisniewski expects several hundred million dollars of additional BlackLift capital spending in 2027 for development materials, manufacturing and testing equipment, facilities, transportation and launch infrastructure. ## Ground Tests Meet Flight Questions Neither Miranda nor Vira [has flown](https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/ast-spacemobile-announces-new-blacklift-rocket-targets-2028-launch-debut?ref=bullished.co). A Bank of America analyst questioned confidence in the next-generation engines and the work required to make the full rocket reusable. Chairman and CEO Abel Avellan responded that buying the engine intellectual property would allow AST to bypass the usual progression from developing a smaller rocket to building a larger one. Firefly would also help with engineering and integration, while AST would concentrate on simplifying the vehicle. Wisniewski cited more than 175 successful Miranda ground firings totaling over 4,200 seconds, including a test at 110% performance, as the basis for management's confidence. Those tests underpin the development plan; they are distinct from flight experience. Asked by a B. Riley analyst how AST would limit design complexity, Avellan stressed the narrow mission: delivering Bluebirds into orbit at 550 kilometers. "There's no plan to go to Mars," he said. AST plans to upgrade existing launch infrastructure for the first flights and is working on two additional locations. Avellan said the company would not initially pursue launch sites outside the United States. ## Japan Funding And The Satellite Network AST's launch investment serves a business that plans to sell connectivity through phone carriers, generally sharing revenue with them. Wisniewski said it now has more than 60 carrier partners representing over 3 billion subscribers. Management targets initial intermittent network availability in key markets before year-end 2026, with customer beta trials expected in early 2027. External launch providers remain essential before BlackLift is ready. Agreements cover [more than 100](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1780312/000119312526453758/asts-ex99%5F1.htm?ref=bullished.co) Bluebirds expected to be deployed across 2027 and 2028, and management targets approximately 45 in orbit by mid-2027. Japan's $1 billion satellite subsidy offers another source of construction and launch funding. Challenged by an analyst about approximately $1.4 billion in preferred-share subscriptions to the joint venture over three years, Wisniewski said the $1 billion represents AST's net cash benefit for satellite materials and launches. AST expects most subsidy proceeds in 2027, ahead of spacecraft and launch investment. It will own 49% of the venture, which receives revenue from three targeted exclusive Asian markets; capacity elsewhere would serve AST's global network with a small revenue share paid to the venture. Management plans to explain BlackLift's economics further at Thursday's unveiling in New York City. Learn - [How To Read An Earnings Call Transcript: Start With Guidance, Then Find What's Missing →](https://www.bullished.co/learn/how-to-read-an-earnings-call/) How to read an earnings call transcript: check guidance first, look for dropped metrics, compare growth with last quarter, and watch hedged wording. ### Sources - [EX-99.1](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1780312/000119312526453758/asts-ex99%5F1.htm?ref=bullished.co) — sec.gov - [AST SpaceMobile Reports Wider 3Q Loss, Higher Revenue](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ast-spacemobile-reports-wider-3q-loss-higher-revenue-8138cd40?ref=bullished.co) — MarketWatch - [AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS) Reports Q3 Loss, Misses Revenue Estimates](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/ast-spacemobile-inc-asts-reports-223503456.html?.tsrc=rss&ref=bullished.co) — Yahoo Finance - [AST SpaceMobile announces new 'Blacklift' rocket, targets 2028 launch debut | Space](https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/ast-spacemobile-announces-new-blacklift-rocket-targets-2028-launch-debut?ref=bullished.co) — space.com - [AST SpaceMobile is so desperate for launch they're building their own rocket - Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/11/ast-spacemobile-is-so-desperate-for-launch-theyre-building-their-own-rocket/?ref=bullished.co) — arstechnica.com ### More on AST SpaceMobile - [AST SpaceMobile Sales Rise To $42.3 Million — But Its Quarterly Loss Widens](https://www.bullished.co/ast-spacemobile-sales-rise-to-42-3-million-but-its-quarterly-loss-widens-2ea74d57/) - [AST SpaceMobile Plans Blacklift Rocket With Approximately $800 Million License For Firefly Engines](https://www.bullished.co/ast-spacemobile-plans-blacklift-rocket-with-approximately-800-million-license-for-firefly-d0c0589e/) - [Vanguard Capital Management Reports 5.11% Passive Stake In AST SpaceMobile](https://www.bullished.co/vanguard-capital-management-reports-5-11-passive-stake-in-ast-spacemobile-c14f5226/) [All AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) coverage →](https://www.bullished.co/tag/asts/)