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# AST SpaceMobile Sales Rise To $42.3 Million — But Its Quarterly Loss Widens
- URL: https://www.bullished.co/ast-spacemobile-sales-rise-to-42-3-million-but-its-quarterly-loss-widens-2ea74d57/
- Published: 2026-11-09T22:12:26.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-09T22:12:26.000Z
- Description: Gateway deliveries and government milestones lifted revenue while adjusted engineering spending increased from the second quarter.
- 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, increased third-quarter sales to [$42.3 million](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000119312526453758/asts-20261109.htm?ref=bullished.co) from $14.7 million a year earlier, according to results attached to its SEC filing Monday. Gateway deliveries and completed U.S. government milestones brought in revenue, but the loss attributable to common stockholders widened to $132.4 million from $122.9 million.

## Engineering Spending Keeps Climbing

AST's loss per share narrowed to $0.44 from $0.45 a year earlier, even as the total loss grew. The weighted-average share count was 300.1 million, compared with 272.8 million a year earlier.

Adjusted operating expenses reached [$133.6 million](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000119312526453758/asts-ex99%5F1.htm?ref=bullished.co), versus $119.1 million in the second quarter. Engineering accounted for $11.0 million of that increase; the adjusted measure excludes stock-based pay, depreciation and amortization, and losses on involuntary conversion.

Reported operating expenses fell to $211.0 million from $329.1 million in the second quarter, which included a $125.9 million loss on involuntary conversion. That decline therefore came alongside rising adjusted expenses.

AST reaffirmed its 2026 revenue forecast of $150 million to $200 million and said recently signed contracts could provide upside. Revenue for the first nine months was $88.6 million, versus $16.6 million a year earlier.

## Funding A Network And A Rocket

AST reported approximately [$3.2 billion](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000119312526453758/asts-ex99%5F2.htm?ref=bullished.co) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at September's end, compared with $2.7 billion at June's end. Its first-half free cash flow was [negative $1.0 billion](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/ast-spacemobile-fell-26-week-161821152.html?ref=bullished.co).

Its agreement with Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Rakuten includes approximately $1.0 billion for satellite manufacturing and launches without issuing additional shares. AST also won a U.S. Space Force sensing contract carrying approximately $100 million in revenue, bringing its government awards to 16.

Friday, AST [announced Blacklift](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000149315226050513/ex99-1.htm?ref=bullished.co), a planned reusable, 20-ton rocket intended to carry up to five BlueBird satellites per launch starting in late 2028\. Its Firefly Aerospace agreement includes a [$1.3 billion commitment](https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/ast-spacemobile-shares-jump-ahead-181900343.html?ref=bullished.co) over three years for engines, engineering support and a technology license.

The rocket adds another development project to AST's satellite buildout. Through September, purchases of property and equipment consumed $1.15 billion, compared with $669.0 million in the same nine-month period a year earlier.

## December Production And Service Targets

AST plans to sell smartphone broadband through phone carriers, generally sharing revenue with them. Before that service launches, its revenue comes from government work and gateway equipment, software and related services sold to carriers.

The company expects initial intermittent nationwide coverage by year-end 2026 in the United States, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Launch agreements cover [more than 100](https://www.lightreading.com/satellite/ast-spacemobile-s-blacklift-rocket-gambit-draws-skepticism?ref=bullished.co) BlueBird satellites that it expects to deploy cumulatively in 2027 and 2028.

Chairman and CEO Abel Avellan said, "We expect to achieve a production rate of [six ASIC satellites](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000119312526453758/asts-ex99%5F1.htm?ref=bullished.co) per month in December of this year." Those satellites use its next-generation processing chips; integration now starts with BlueBird 34 rather than the originally planned BlueBird 50, and production extends through BlueBird 51 at its Texas factories.

AST targets approximately 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit by mid-2027, as it works toward the first rollout of its smartphone service.

Learn

- [Item 2.02: results of operations →](https://www.bullished.co/learn/8-k-items-explained/#item-202-results-of-operations)  
From 8-K Items Explained: What Every Item Code From 1.01 To 9.01 Tells You, With Examples

### Sources

- [8-K Filing — AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000119312526453758/asts-20261109.htm?ref=bullished.co) — SEC EDGAR
- [Exhibit asts-ex99\_1.htm — AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 8-K exhibit](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000119312526453758/asts-ex99%5F1.htm?ref=bullished.co) — SEC EDGAR
- [Exhibit asts-ex99\_2.htm — AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 8-K exhibit](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000119312526453758/asts-ex99%5F2.htm?ref=bullished.co) — SEC EDGAR
- [AST SpaceMobile Stock Slides After Posting Q3 Double-Miss](https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/26/11/63072768/ast-spacemobile-stock-slides-after-posting-q3-double-miss?ref=bullished.co) — benzinga.com
- [AST SpaceMobile shares jump ahead of Q3 results as dealmaking gathers pace](https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/ast-spacemobile-shares-jump-ahead-181900343.html?ref=bullished.co) — Yahoo Finance
- [Why Is AST SpaceMobile Stock Soaring on Monday? - AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS)](https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/26/11/63053625/why-is-ast-spacemobile-stock-soaring-on-monday?ref=bullished.co) — benzinga.com
- [AST SpaceMobile's 'Blacklift' rocket gambit draws skepticism](https://www.lightreading.com/satellite/ast-spacemobile-s-blacklift-rocket-gambit-draws-skepticism?ref=bullished.co) — lightreading.com
- [AST SpaceMobile Fell 26% in a Week. The November 9 Report Has to Answer the Dilution Question](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/ast-spacemobile-fell-26-week-161821152.html?ref=bullished.co) — Yahoo Finance
- [8-K filed 2026-11-06 — AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (earlier disclosure)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001780312/000149315226050513/ex99-1.htm?ref=bullished.co) — SEC EDGAR

### More on AST SpaceMobile

- [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/)
- [BlackRock Reports 5.4% Passive Stake In AST SpaceMobile, 16.1 Million Shares](https://www.bullished.co/blackrock-reports-5-4-passive-stake-in-ast-spacemobile-16-1-million-shares-196615c6/)

[All AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) coverage →](https://www.bullished.co/tag/asts/)