AST SpaceMobile is so desperate for launch they’re building their own rocket
Summary
Ars Technica reports that AST SpaceMobile intends to build its own medium-lift rocket, Blacklift, to deploy its BlueBird satellites and gain regular access to orbit by 2028. The piece analyzes the optimism of the timeline, the engine licensing deal with Firefly (nine Miranda engines and nine Vira engines, plus $1.3 billion in total), and compares AST’s plan to historical rocket programs, noting that development timelines typically span five to nine years. It also questions whether the project is necessary given existing launch partnerships and seeks to illuminate the capital and engineering challenges involved.