ASTS’s 7% Stock Pop Is a Distraction: SpaceX Is Both Its Savior and Executioner

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(SeaPRwire) –   By: Lucas Caldwell

AST SpaceMobile’s premarket jump isn’t just about three new satellites. It’s a reminder that in space tech, your biggest partner can also be your deadliest rival. SpaceX launched those BlueBirds, but it’s building a direct competitor to ASTS’s smartphone broadband service.

Early Wednesday, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 sent three Block2 BlueBirds (8,9,10) into orbit from Cape Canaveral. Each has 2,400 sq ft arrays and hits nearly 200 Mbps—double Block1’s 98.9 Mbps peak. ASTS now has nine satellites up, after losing one in April’s Blue Origin failure.

The company needs 45 satellites by year-end for northern latitude commercial service. Satellites 11-33 are in advanced production. But investors aren’t out of the woods—unfurling those large arrays and confirming operation takes weeks.

SpaceX’s IPO has lifted the space sector. Its stock is up ~50% since going public, pushing ASTS’s premarket up 7.4% (then 4.8% at last check). But SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile is targeting the same direct-to-smartphone market by end of next year.

The launch is a win-win for both. SpaceX solidifies its role as the go-to launch provider—even for rivals. ASTS moves closer to its 45-sat target. But ASTS’s stock is still far from its 52-week high of $135.86, and it’s down 15% since SpaceX’s IPO.

If ASTS can’t get those 45 satellites up by year-end, SpaceX will eat its lunch before it even opens.

Author bio: Lucas Caldwell, a tech opinion leader with millions of followers on X/Twitter, focuses on space tech and market dynamics.