- AST SpaceMobile won a U.S. patent covering thermal-management technology for its tiled antenna arrays, extending early filings to protect larger Block 2 BlueBird satellites.
- The company filed with the FCC on Sept. 8 to renew its 800 MHz satellite connectivity testing authority for another 30 days, with the initial window set to expire in mid-September.
- The Space Development Agency urged the FCC to approve AST's pulsed radiolocation testing in the 902-928 MHz band, highlighting national security applications after a $30 million SDA contract.
- AST faces deployment risks for BlueBirds 14, 15, and 16 and has posted six consecutive earnings misses, with a consensus Hold rating and high short interest.
- Competition with SpaceX's Starlink is shifting to spectrum, carriers, and deployment scale; SpaceX has spent about $19.6 billion acquiring EchoStar spectrum, while both firms eye Grain Management's 800 MHz airwaves.
Quotes
“definitely intend to build out terrestrial”
“true mobile service”
“We are now using commercial solutions to quickly demonstrate mission utility, reduce risk for the operational layers of future tranches of the PWSA, and accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge capability to the warfighter.”