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Firefly signs $1.3 billion engine deal for AST SpaceMobile’s Blacklift rocket
AST SpaceMobile is targeting late 2028 for the rocket’s debut as it seeks less reliance on third-party launches.
TLDR
The agreement covers 27 Miranda engines and nine in-space Vira engines for the first three Blacklift rockets, plus a license allowing AST SpaceMobile to eventually make the engines itself. AST wants its own heavy-lift rocket to reduce reliance on providers such as SpaceX while deploying its cellular broadband satellite network. The company says Blacklift is designed for reuse and can carry up to five BlueBird satellites per launch.
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